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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 




FOSTER DWIGHT COBURN 



COBURN'S MANUAL 

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE 
FARMERS' CYCLOPEDIA 



BY 



F. D. COBURN 



SECRETARY OF THE KANSAS STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 1882, AND i8g4 TO 1914 

and 

THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE FARMERS' CYCLOPEDIA 




GARDEN CITY NEW YORK 

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 
1915 



\s 






Copyright, 1915 

by 

DouBLBDAT, Page «fe Company 

All rights reserved, including that of translation 
into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian. 



APR 29 1915 

©CIA397785 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Foster Dwight Coburn Frontispiece 

Foreword by Mr. Coburn v 

Mr. Coburn 's Message to the City Man ..... v 

CHAPTER I 

BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 1 

The Simple Science of Profit Making — The Importance 
of Adaptation — The United States and Its Opportuni- 
ties — 1. New England — 2. The North Atlantic States — 3. 
The Cotton Belt— 4. The East Central States— 5. The Mid- 
dle "Western States — 6. The Mountain States — Dry Farm- 
ing and Its Opportunities — The Immense Field of Irri- 
gation — 7. The Pacific States. 

CHAPTER II 

GOOD NEWS FOR THE FARMER'S WIFE .... 13 

What the Farm Woman Wants — What the Farm 
Woman Needs — The Farm Betterment Movement — Con- 
veniences for the Farm Home — How to Feed the Farm 
Family— Which Life for Your Wife?— The Woman's 
Realm Outdoors. 

CHAPTER III 

WHAT THE FARM HOLDS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS . 19 

The Children's Share in Farm Work — How About the 
Country Slums?— The Sort of Care that Counts— The 
New Agricultural Education — The Educational Obligation 
of the Farmer — How a City Boy Can Learn Farming — 
The Farm as a School — Learning by Doing, and Owning — 
Work versus Drudgery. 



iv CONTENTS 

CHAPTER IV 

PAGE 

HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING . . 26 

The Federal Department of Agriculture — Office of the 
Secretary — Bureaus and Divisions — Advisory Boards — 
Permanent Field Stations and Experimental Farms — Offi- 
cials of the Department of the Interior Having to Do with 
Agriculture — What Rural Life Means — The American 
Farmer and His Efficiency — The Government and Increased 
Production — How to Produce More Meat — Eradicating 
Live Stock Diseases — A New Era in Agricultural Educa- 
tion — Marketing and Distribution — Good Roads — State De- 
partments of Agriculture — State Colleges and Experiment 
Stations — Where They Are and Who Is in Charge. 

CHAPTER V 

PRACTICAL READING FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS . 47 

The Sort of Knowledge that Counts— 1. The Man Who 
Wants a Farm — Some Facts About Farming — The Ele- 
ments of Farming — 2. The Dairy Farmer — Pure-Breds 
versus Grades — The Details of Dairying — 3. The General 
Stock-Raiser — Horses and Their Care — Stock-Feeding — 
4. The Poultryman — 5. The Fruit-Grower — 6. The Gar- 
den Lover — 7. The General Farmer. 



FOREWORD 

In recent years, most of the agricultural wisdom gleaned since 
the beginning of things, and especially that part of it applicable 
to North America, has been scientifically and practically tested anew 
by Departments of Agriculture of the United States and Canada and 
by the Experiment Stations and Agricultural Colleges of the different 
States and Provinces, and published in bulletins and reports. These 
innumerable and valuable documents deal with every topic in which 
the farmer and his family have material interest. But there has been 
little or no attempt at systematic coordination or consistent classifica- 
tion. As a consequence only a fragmentary part of the truths they 
held until now could be found except by tiresome if not costly search, 
and often the search was futile. 

To make it really accessible the publishers have brought this 
vast knowledge together into the most compact form possible, and at 
a price within reach of everyone. The result is the seven volumes 
constituting the Farmers' Cyclopedia, to which this manual is intended 
as a guide and ready reference. 

Its purpose, therefore, is to tell the inquirer how and where he 
may at once and easily find in the nearly five thousand pages of the 
Cyclopedia the particular fact he needs. 



A MESSAGE TO THE CITY MAN 

It is being stated everywhere and by almost everybody that the 
farmer is the most prosperous of men. We hear of "Back to the 
Land Movements" and the man in the city is urged to drop his pen 
or tools, come out and till the soil, give up his indoor health-sapping 
life, and live in the clear, fresh air of the country. 

Much of what is said on this score is true, and some is not true. 
I was for twenty-one years Secretary of the State Agricultural De- 
partment of Kansas, and now in my retirement, when I can look at 
things in a quiet, contemplative spirit, my message to the Man in the 
City who seeks liberty and health on the farm may be of value. 

If beginning my life over again and working in a city for a salary, 
I believe I would give up my position and take up farming ; but not 
with the expectation of having less work to do or of being able to live 
a life of ease during the years when my strength of body and mind 
was in its prime. On the contrary, I would expect to work hard, 
for long hours, and I would also expect that when I had finally earned 
a cessation from work I would be able to enjoy the fruits of my toil 
and that the worldly goods that I had accumulated would be sufficient 
to meet these demands. 



vi FOREWORD 

I say this because I have seen it demonstrated ; I have seen thou- 
sands of young, eager Americans come out on the land, full of vim, 
energy, and determination, and I see these same men now riding by 
in their automobiles and enjoying the latter half of their lives in the 
satisfaction of financial ease. 

The opportunities for success in farming are not gone ; they never 
will be gone. Farming is a rock-bottom industry, and so long as there 
is a human being, farming will hold its place as the most important of 
all industries. 

Up to a comparatively few years ago, farming was an industry- 
handed down from father to son; was hit or miss, but mostly miss. 
Those days are rapidly receding now, and the era of the educated 
farmer is close at hand. Education is coming out to the farm; our 
ways of living are changing; our very thoughts are changing; we 
are more progressive, more alert, we are seeing things in a new light. 
To-day, farms are run less by hand-power and more by brain-power; 
it is less a matter of wondering what one ought to do and more a 
matter of finding out from books what one must do. That is why 
farm life says to the City Man, to men who work in offices, shops, 
and factories, and have not even a flower-pot full of earth to call their 
own, ' ' Come out to the land and share in this prosperity. ' ' 

But, men that make the great change, do not come with delusions ; 
do not come thinking it is easy, that you have nothing to do but plant 
a seed and then pick your ripened grain. You have lots of work to 
do, and will have long hours. But study and toil will bring you 
health and comfort. That is why I stand back of these books — this 
great Farmers' Cyclopedia, with the vast accumulation of facts, veri- 
fied by centuries, all arranged here, indexed and easily accessible. 
Read these books systematically, a little now and then whenever you 
have time, and you will be more prepared for the great step. You 
will have a thorough grounding in the theoretical side of farming. 
You will know what the great men of farming have learned by great 
patience and at a great expense of time. These volumes cover every 
important phase of farming, from the planting and the growing to 
the home life and the home. 

With perseverance, energy, and judgment, you will attain pros- 
perity and the compensations of success in its best sense. 



CHAPTER I 
BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 

In fanning, as in every other field of human endeavor, those 
achieve success who characterize their work either by more originality 
or by greater skill than their fellows. The Indian who threw a dead fish 
into each hill when planting com had discovered a new way to feed 
plants, and achieved success while his neighbor failed. The Wisconsin 
farmer who was awarded a $300 prize and much recognition as the 
' ' best farmer in the State, ' ' practiced in most ways the same sort of 
agriculture as hundreds of others under practically similar circum- 
stances, but he did it better than they, and hence he was successful. 

The magic factors, therefore, are originality and. more efficient 
methods, and with these constantly in mind the Farmers' Cyclopedia 
has been built. They form, moreover, the keynote of the present man- 
ual, by means of which the great mine of information and helpfulness 
may be most expeditiously opened. 

THE SIMPLE SCIENCE OF PROFIT MAKING 

When we analyze any branch of farming anywhere, we find that 
its profits result, as in any other productive industry, from keeping 
expenses below returns. Going still farther, we find that this desirable 
state of affairs is in turn dependent upon five factors with which every 
manufacturer is familiar and every farmer should he. These are : 

(a) The accessibility and low cost of raw materials. In manu- 
facturing these may be coal, or ores, wool, lumber, horsepower, etc. 
In farming they consist of elements such as plant food, moisture, and 
natural vegetation. A dairy farm located near a brewery might find 
brewers' grains an important economical food material, while in the 
northwest wild grasses would perhaps represent the cheapest raw 
materials. 

(b) The accessibility of markets and remunerative prices for 
finished products. It is because of this factor that market gardeners 
locate near large cities, and that, on the other hand, they are able to 
farm such high priced land and yet prosper. 

(e) The complete utilization of by-products and waste. It is in 
this field that manufacturing industries have made some of their most 
remarkable strides, and the same general principles are adaptable to 
fanning. The feeding of skim milk to hogs and fowls, the careful 
conservation and application of manure, the plowing under of straw 
instead of burning it — all these are examples of utilizing "scrap," as 
the manufacturer would say, (In this connection read Vol. VII, p. 49, 
on Utilizing Farm Wastage.) 

(d) The complete utilization of labor. With the insufficient sup- 
ply of farm help, everywhere, it is becoming essential that farms be 
so managed as to provide work the year round, in order that perma- 



2 COBURN'S 3IANUAL 

nent positions can be offered and reliable, permanent, preferably mar- 
ried, help obtained. (At this point the discussion of Wages on the 
Farm, Vol. VII, p. 80, will be of interest.) 

(e) Economical methods of production or the manufacture of 
products into more valuable materials. This practically repeats what 
we have already mentioned. Whether the final product is baled hay, 
fresh eggs, milk, meat, flowers, fruit or grain, there is a best, most 
efficient, most profitable manner of turning it out. But the particular 
method depends mostly upon the environment, the local conditions. 
So once more we come to face the vital importance of adaptation. 

THE IMPORTANCE OP ADAPTATION 

The subject of adaptation is so broad, so complex, and so tremen- 
dously important that it is made the keynote of this entire chapter. 
Aside from the small, extremely local considerations, such as whether 
the farm is on a southern or a northern slope, whether the soil is newly 
broken or long since subdued, and the like — all of which are problems 
for the individual — there are larger, sectional questions of adaptation 
such as determine the entire type of farming, the location in which the 
farm buyer looks for property, and other fundamentals. The East is 
naturally adapted to types of farming that may or may not succeed 
in the South, the Far West or on the Great Plains, and vice versa. A 
knowledge of these special adaptations and opportunities is sure to 
save the prospective farmer much time and investigation, and may 
easily mark the difference between success and failure, whether the 
farmer be new to the business or the location, or not. 

THE UNITED STATES AND ITS OPPORTUNITIES 

The present chapter, then, summarizes these larger adaptations 
of our seven great agricultural sections. We have opinions of na- 
tionally renowned authorities, each of whom tells of the leading op- 
portunities in one of these sections. Quoting these, we then augment 
and supplement their usefulness by considering them in relation to 
the Farmers' Cyclopedia, and listing all references in the seven 
volumes to the opportunities they emphasize. 

It only remains for the farmer or student to decide which section 
of the country appeals to him, then to note the advice of the authority 
for that group of States, and finally to study the details of the par- 
ticular phases of agriculture referred to wherever, in the four thou- 
sand-odd pages of the Cyclopedia, they are found and dealt with. 

§ I. NEW ENGLAND 

Of this section, Mr. L. G. Dodge, Agriculturist of the U. S. De- 
partment of Agriculture, says: "New England is adapted to the 
perishable products like milk, fresh vegetables, and fruit, and to bulky 
ones like hay, cabbage, potatoes, both of which classes are difficult to 
bring from any great distance. Dairying will probably remain the 
backbone of New England live stock interests, but on a more profitable 
basis, in less quantity but with better cows. Sheep will often take the 
place of cows in remote, or northern areas, or where there is excess of 



BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 3 

grazing. The fruit and truck crops will be grown only by a small 
part of the farmers as a specialty, and elsewhere as a minor cash crop 
item on the general farm, while most of the milk will be produced by 
farmers who have some good cash crop as well. This is a hay- 
consuming region, and there is never a surplus of hay as a whole 
as there is in some other regions. Also the coarser vegetables are 
consumed in great quantities in manufacturing centers, and such as 
cabbage and potatoes must continue to be valuable cash crops for the 
dairy or general farmer, along with hay wherever the local live stock 
interests do not absorb all of the latter. Lumbering or work con- 
nected with it makes an important source of winter revenue for the 
farmer in many parts of Northern New England. ' ' 

This at once emphasizes the importance of dairying, various 
phases of which are discussed in Vols. I, III, and VII. First, of 
course, one will want to study the different types of dairy cow de- 
scribed in Vol. I, pp. 119-135, and their adaptations to the require- 
ments of a well-managed Dairy Herd, Vol. I, pp. 138-148, The 
needs of cows as to feed, care at calving, and special sanitary pro- 
visions fill the remainder of Vol. I, Part II, and pages 198, 224, etc., 
of Part III. While perfect health of the herd is always to be hoped 
for, we must be prepared for injuries and various ailments. Nearly 
475 pages of Vol. Ill, devoted to Diseases of Cattle, supply the neces- 
sary advice as to protection in the most convenient and practical 
manner. However, cattle form only half the dairy business, and there 
remain the care, treatment, utilization, and marketing of milk, butter, 
and cheese as discussed in the fifty-odd pages of Vol. I, Part II, under 
^lilk. The disposition of sMm milk is also touched on under Swine 
Feeding, Vol. I, p. 460. To cover thoroughly the subject of Dairy 
Barns it will be necessary to jump from Vol. I, p. 158, to Vol. VII, 
p. 122. 

If, as Mr. Dodge suggests, you are in the rougher and more north- 
erly sections, the regular marketing of dairy products may have to 
give way to the shipping of wool or mutton once or twice a year, and 
the dairy herd be replaced by sheep. Presumably you will choose a 
hardy, dual purpose breed, such as the Shropshire, Dorset or Cheviot 
(Vol. I, pp. 338, 341, 342). All the breeds are described between 
pages 335 and 343. The remainder of Part III of this volume is de- 
voted to Sheep Management, and the New Englander will want to 
read especially the articles on Pasturage Systems (p. 373), Market 
Grades (p. 385), and the Details of Feeding (p. 344). The diseases 
and parasites that annoy sheepmen are allotted 119 pages in Vol. 
Ill, beginning on page 475. 

Turning from live stock to the more important crops for New 
England, we find the first 200 pages of Vol. IV devoted to the many 
details in the raising and marketing of hay. The discussion of cab- 
bage (Vol. IV, p. 266), while coming in the Vegetable Garden section, 
considers the crop also from a market or truck garden standpoint. 
The potato, which is such an important factor in Maine farming, is 
also dealt with in this volume on pages 320 to 343. An interesting 
note on the special fertilizer needs of this crop is found in Vol, VII, 
p. 491, while the insects and diseases that attack it are described, and 



4 COBURN'S MANUAL 

the means for combating them given, in Vol. VI, p. 164, Vol. VII, pp. 
591 and 681, and Vol. VI, pp. 557-566 and 618, respectively. 

If near a summer resort the New Englander will find an excellent 
market for all the other vegetables, for which cultural methods are 
given in Vol. IV, pp. 217 to 368, inclusive. He may also try fruit on 
a small scale, adapting the directions included in the first 250 pages 
of Vol. V to his particular conditions. In both cases, pages 184-200 
of Vol. VII, on Intensive Farming, will interest him. As an illus- 
tration of a special and highly profitable crop under certain condi- 
tions such as those found throughout the Connecticut Valley, there is 
tobacco, which is discussed as a Special Farm Crop in Vol. V, pp. 
587-619. 

Finally there is the oft neglected woodlot — frequently one of 
those by-products spoken of already, but which in competent hands 
can return profit by keeping men busy in odd times when other work 
stands still. Section II of Vol. V treats Farm Forestry in all its 
phases, but every farmer with any sort of a stand of lumber trees 
should read pages 319 to 370 at least. 

§11. THE NORTH ATLANTIC STATES 

Moving into the group of States including New York, Pennsyl- 
vania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, we would ex- 
pect to find conditions not so very different from those in New Eng- 
land. And, indeed, Prof. G. F. Warren, of the Department of Farm 
Management of Cornell University, says : "It is somewhat difficult to 
state the types of farming adapted to the North Atlantic States be- 
cause the conditions of soil, climate, transportation, and markets are 
so variable. The first use of land in this region is naturally to furnish 
truck crops, potatoes, cabbages, moderate price fruits, hay, high-class 
eggs, and milk for the vast number of city inhabitants in it. These 
products are either too bulky or too perishable to be shipped long 
distances, so that the North Atlantic States have a practical monopoly 
on them. However, there is more land in the North Atlantic States 
than is required for their production, hence only the land most favor- 
ably situated is usually devoted to them. The rest is naturally used 
for other products such as the production of dairy cattle, butter 
making, cheese making, production of wheat, field beans, etc. Since 
the city population is constantly increasing, there is therefore a 
constant demand for first-class products, and, as the census figures 
show, there is rapid decrease in such products as wheat, butter, and 
cheese that can be shipped long distances. 

' ' A third class of products may be called by-products or incidental 
products. There is considerable skim milk available for use in feeding 
chickens and hogs. There are always waste products on the farm 
that could be utilized to produce a small number of hogs, so that in 
the North Atlantic States a considerable number of hogs are raised 
but their production is largely based on these by-products. A few 
sheep also can be kept on small farms at a very small cost because to a - 
considerable extent they live on weeds and low-grade products. The 
number of sheep in the North Atlantic States is constantly decreasing, 



BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 5 

but there are a considerable number of farms on which it still pays 
to keep them primarily as scavengers. 

"A fourth class of products are those produced primarily for 
home use regardless of whether or not they would pay to raise to sell. 
There are many farmers that raise one or two hogs for home use that 
probably could not raise hogs to sell at a profit. 

"A fifth class of products might be mentioned which are only 
rarely raised at profit. Of those beef and pork when grown on grain 
are typical. The grain and hay required for wintering beef cattle cost 
so much here compared with the Middle West that, in spite of the 
cheap pasture, the year's food supply is too expensive. In the North 
Atlantic States nearly all pasture land is used for dairying or for 
the production of dairy cattle. ' ' 

Here we encounter many of the specialties already touched upon 
under New England, with the addition of a few such as limited hog 
production, poultry raising, and the culture of wheat, field beans, 
etc. However, these added subjects can be thoroughly studied in the 
Cyclopedia by turning to Vol. I, p. 417, and Vol. II, p. 410, for Swine ; 
Vol. I, pp. 518-626, and Vol. II, pp. 554-609, for Poultry; Vol. IV, pp. 
376-379 and 442-463, for Wheat; Vol. IV, p. 257, for Beans; and 
Vol. IV, p. 634, for Hops, which is also an important crop in New 
York. 

§ III. THE COTTON BELT 

One of the most remarkable agricultural developments of the past 
decade has been the advance of the South in better balanced, more 
profitable farming. This has been due to various causes, chief among 
them being the indefatigable work of the late Seaman A. Knapp, of 
the National Department of Agriculture, and his staff of demonstra- 
tion agents, and the efficient campaigns against the Cotton Boll 
Weevil and the Texas Fever Tick of cattle. In a way the South has 
been always at a disadvantage ; being the only section of the country 
adapted to the growing of cotton, rice, and sugar cane, it found the 
temptation to grow only those crops almost irresistible. However, 
of late, tremendous opportunities have opened along the lines of diver- 
sified farming, especially such farming as includes live stock in its 
calculations. Clarence H. Poe, of North Carolina, editor of the Pro- 
gressive Farmer, and one of the leaders in Southern agricultural prog- 
ress and cooperation, says : ' ' The great agricultural need of the Cotton 
Belt is to make use of its opportunities for growing live stock, food 
products, and feed stuffs, while at the same time keeping its primacy 
in cotton production. With wise methods of rotation, manuring, and 
proper emphasis on cover-crops, our longer-growing season would en- 
able us on our present cultivated acreage to grow as much cotton as 
we now grow and all our corn and meat besides. ' ' 

This is a welcome message of moderation, when so many opinions 
have seemed to urge an almost total substitution of green manure 
crops, grains, etc., for the invaluable cotton. 

For the Southern farmer who keeps Mr. Poe's advice in mind the 
Cyclopedia offers generous assistance. The culture of cotton accord- 
ing to modern methods is treated in some forty pages of Vol. V, be- 



6 COBURN'8 MANVAL 

ginning on page 529. Sorghum (often erroneously spoken 
of as "cane"), that Southern cousin of Indian corn, is discussed in 
Vol. V, p. 647, and the real (sugar) cane on page 657 of the same 
volume. Kice, though rather local, should be studied on the pages 
following p. 600, Vol. IV, which is followed by a discussion of the 
various uses of the Peanut on page 610. 

Crop Rotation upon which much of the new agriculture of the 
South is based is found in Part II of Vol. VII, on p. 201 ; while many 
of the forage plants that can be worked into a rotation are described 
on the pages that follow p. 132 of Vol. IV ; the eowpea, one of the most 
important of these, receives special mention on page 526 and others 
following. 

The articles on dairy activities and hog-raising possibilities, which 
are proving so attractive south of Mason and Dixon's line, have al- 
ready been referred to, but it remains to call attention to the discus- 
sions concerning Beef Cattle and the Production of Beef in Vol. I, pp. 
263-334, and concerning mules and horses, with particular reference 
to Southern conditions on pages 68-88. 

In the Gulf Coast section of Texas the vegetable industry has 
long been prominent, so the extensive discussion of Vegetable Growing, 
beginning on p. 217 of Vol. IV, will again prove of value. The citrus 
fruit area is limited but of great importance, and pages 263-300 
supply valuable advice regarding these crops and others of even a 
more tropical nature, such as olives, dates, figs, etc. Another impor- 
tant item in Southern horticulture is the pecan. Vol. V, p. 309. 

§IV. THE EAST CENTRAL STATES 

This group, containing Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, 
Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, can be generically referred to as 
approximately the "Corn Belt," and w^e immediately schedule corn 
among the more dependable standbys and opportunities for the 
farmers of that section. Such farmers will find the latest ideas re- 
garding Corn Culture in Vol. IV, pp. 400-442, and other references 
as follow^s: Corn Diseases, Vol. VI, p. 579; Corn Insects, Vol. VI, p. 
168; Corn Fertilizers, Vol. VII, p. 489; Corn Machinery, Vol. VII, 
p. 85; Corn Production, Vol. VII, p. 169; Corn as a Soiling Crop, 
Vol. I, p. 157 ; and How to Can Corn, Vol. VII, p. 597. 

Yet corn is far from being everything even in the Corn Belt. 
Says Joseph E. Wing, of Ohio, farmer, lecturer, and writer : 

"The most profitable type of farming for the Corn Belt is 
undoubtedly a mixed type, with corn, clover, wheat, pigs, and 
either beef cattle or dairy cattle in addition. That system gets the 
maximum output with the least labor outlay, especially when beef 
cattle are fed and sows kept on clover or alfalfa pasture. There 
is proof near me at 'Houstonia,' the 10,000-acre tract of corn belt 
land. There, they have tested nearly all sorts of farming, including 
fine dairies and farms devoted to pure-bred stock. They make nearly 
all the farms pay, but the old-fashioned general fanns, leaning hard on 
corn, clover, and swine, have paid largest. On farms of such type 
the large output of pork is the big factor in profits. ' ' 



BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 7 

By this token clover must be regarded as no less important than 
corn, and its qualities and requirements must be looked up in Vol. 
IV, pp. 59-82. So, too, its enemies (Vol. VI, p. 577, and p. 197). Red 
Clover as a Soiling Crop is discussed in Vol. I, p. 156, while Crimson 
Clover as Green Manure is treated in Vol. VII, p. 504. Other sorts 
valuable as forage are referred to in Vol. IV, pp. 146-147, 149, 153, 
156, and 161. 

The culture of wheat is fully outlined in Vol. IV, pp. 376-379 and 
442-463, and its value as a food for live stock is worth referring to, in 
Vol. I, p. 319. 

When it comes to the hogs themselves, the care of which is treated 
in Vol. I, p. 424, and Vol. II, p. 414, it is interesting to note the 
danger of Feeding Diseased Corn, Vol. II, p. 511, and the matter of 
Proprietary Stock Foods for Swine, Vol. I, p. 495. 

Similarly the corn belt farmer should become thoroughly informed 
as to Cattle Feeding (Vol. I, pp. 153-158, 166, 169, 173, 182, 288-330), 
and Cattle Fattening (Vol. I, pp. 283-284, 301), as well as the re- 
lated principles of Feeding Dairy Cows, also in the same volume, pages 
161-181. With the prices of feed stuffs and good farm land where 
they are at present it is important to figure the cost of every pound 
of gain and every ounce of butter fat to the last cent, else the appar- 
ently profitable farm may prove sadly unprofitable. 

The subjects thus far mentioned relate, of course, primarily to 
the great central, cleared, and level-to-gently-rolling section of the corn 
belt. In some States included in this group, different conditions obtain 
and other specialized opportunities are waiting. Kentucky, Wisconsin, 
and Ohio, for instance, are all important factors in the nation's pro- 
duction of Tobacco (Vol. IV, p. 177 ; Vol. V, pp. 587-615, 619-620 ; Vol. 
VII, p. 170), while Hemp (Vol. V, p. 575, and Vol. VII, p. 95) is 
grown in northern and central Kentucky, though not so extensively 
as heretofore. 

Wisconsin is largely a dairy State, with something of a leaning 
toward the Guernsey breed (Vol. I, p. 122), but its Cranberries, too, 
(Vol. V, p. 253) are a source of some income. Farther north there 
still remain large areas of timber land offering generous returns 
under intelligent treatment according to the tenets of Scientific For- 
estry (Vol. V, pp. 319-468), while other wild tracts require only 
Stump Removal (Vol. VII, p. 23) or Drainage (Vol. VII, pp. 105, 123, 
258-276, 285, and 303) to show their worth for agriculture. 

Farther east in Michigan, and in West Virginia as well, fruit- 
growing is a highly important though localized industry. Peaches 
(Vol. V, pp. 96-98, 215-223) and Apples (Vol. V, pp. 79-80, 170-205) 
are especially successful in these States, where, in addition to favor- 
able climatic conditions, conveniently accessible markets render these 
phases of horticulture distinctly attractive. 

§V. THE MIDDLE WESTERN STATES 

By common consent the States so designated are Kansas, the 
Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri, which occupy a 
rectangular block, fourteen degrees from East to West and twelve 



8 COBURN'8 3IANUAL 

degrees from North to South, of the most fertile soil of the Western 
Hemisphere. This wonderful Middle West is the bread-and-raeat- 
basket of much of the world ; here are produced the substantial upon 
which armies, navies, and nations are fed. Great as its productions 
are, the possibilities are not yet approached or even comprehended; 
these can only (and will) be realized by conserving and promot- 
ing the natural fertility through a sane system of rotations, a larger 
recognition of the legumes, more animal husbandry, including dairy- 
ing, in proportion to grain raising, and increased consumption of its 
grain and forage on the farms where grown, with more thorough till- 
age, which means putting the same labor on much smaller areas, re- 
sulting in largely increased acre yields. Mankind can do without 
most of the so-called "necessaries," but not without a commissary. 
The Middle West is it ! 

It is not difficult for a native farmer of this agricultural empire 
to grow enthusiastic. One of his weaknesses is failure to realize that 
soils can become impoverished, and that unless the supply of plant 
food is maintained, corn and wheat and oats will not continue to 
yield abundantly year in and year out. At this point therefore let 
him pick up Vol. YII of the Cyclopedia and study Fertilization and 
Fertilizers as discussed on pages 388-531. Then perhaps he will re- 
view the subject of Field Crops, Part III of Vol. IV, with a view to 
working out a rotation no less profitable and far more valuable than 
his old-time methods. He will want to re\'iew the chapters on Beef and 
Beef Cattle, and on Pork Production, and survey the, perhaps, more 
unfamiliar field of the Dairy Cow. In taking up a more extensive 
use of cover-crops and green manures he will find it necessary to 
plow more deeply; in fact, he will find it to his advantage to run 
through the whole philosophy of plowing as outlined in Vol. VII, pp. 
42-49. Finally a natural result of the change to more diversified 
methods will be more orchards and more complete home gardens, about 
which he will find full information in Vols. IV and V. 

§ VI. THE MOUNTAIN STATES 

The sixth section is easily the largest of all, including the vast 
valley and plain expanses of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, 
Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. For many years it was the 
least developed, agriculturally, of all our tillable territory. Men 
dreaded to pass the 100th meridian, which, roughly speaking, marks 
the dividing line between humid and arid North America, and when 
there were no more free homesteads left east of the ' ' Great American 
Desert, ' ' they scurried across to the Pacific Coast with scarce a glance 
at the soil beneath their feet. 

But gradually there came new knowledge of new, undreamed-of 
opportunities. The soil, it was found, was not all alkali, but largely 
rich, enduring volcanic ash; wild grasses had become acclimated and 
other more valuable crops that would also thrive under the difficult 
conditions were sought, found, and introduced. And then came the 
crowning developments, irrigation and dry farming. To-day these 
two doors stand open and as the Great Plains farmer steps through he 
finds prosperity and happiness just beyond. 



BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 



DRY FARMING AND ITS OPPORTUNITIES 

Because these two routes to success are so different and adapted 
to such different conditions, we quote two well-known authorities in 
respect to their opportunities. Of the present status of dry farming, 
Mr. H. W. Campbell, a close student of such matters, says: "Up to 
1900 farming in the semi-arid sections without irrigation rarely met 
with success, except in seasons of more timely and exceptional rainfall, 
and was usually a chance game. 

' ' At this time the principle of storing and conserving the rainfall 
in the soil and its more general utility through certain specific physical 
conditions of the soil took definite form. On the Pomeroy farm at 
Hill City, Kansas, in 1901, under this plan 893 bushels of winter 
wheat were grown on 21 acres (42^ bushels per acre) when drouth 
caused the total failure of many fields. Wheat-growing spread, but 
lack of knowledge by the masses of the correct methods and princi- 
ples caused many failures or short crops, and with no cows, hogs, or 
chickens to fall back on, the settler soon found himself in serious 
poverty. 

' ' Further experiments in the production of fodder and grain for 
cattle and hogs and in methods of feeding have made possible more of 
general stock-farming. It is now established that crops of feed for 
cattle and hogs can be grown with less annual rainfall than is re- 
quired for wheat. The degree to which moisture can be stored and 
conserved by tillage has but recently been understood. 

' ' On the eastern slope, where the precipitation is mainly during 
the growing season, double disking as early in the spring as conditions 
will permit will loosen the surface so as to prevent the loss of moisture 
by evaporation and cause a more rapid and complete percolation of 
subsequent rains. Weeds must be destroyed when very small and the 
surface kept loose but not fine, up to planting time. Late planting 
of fodders has recently been found the best. A large number of fields 
of sorghum planted in Western Nebraska in 1914 as late as July 15th 
gave bigger yields than from early June planting. One field planted 
July 27th produced over five tons of very nice, dry fodder, while 
an adjoining field planted June 5th made but little over half a ton 
of poorer quality. 

Summer tilling consists in carrying out three distinct principles : 

"First. — In storing and conserving the rain waters there should 
always be about two and one-half inches of loose soil mulch of a rather 
coarse nature; never fine or dust-like. No weeds can be allowed to 
grow. Ample moisture stored below is the only safeguard against 
hot, dry weather. 

"Second.— The fine, firm seed and root bed is vital to both the 
carrying of a high per cent, of available soil moisture and the rapid, 
healthy growth of roots. Remember that without a highly sanitary 
physical condition of the soil a healthy, prolific growth of roots is im- 
possible, without which there cannot be healthy, vigorous, fruitful 
plants. 

"Third.— Thin seeding where a small quantity of water must be 
depended upon is very vital. Too much seed has caused many to 



10 COBUBN'S MANUAL 

be disappointed in their crop in the semi-arid sections. The more 
perfect the seed bed the less seed needed because of the increased 
stooling or tillering of the plants. I have seen 44 bushels of wheat 
per acre from 15 pounds of seed. 

' ' With clear understanding and an application of summer tilling 
methods each alternate season, good crops of winter rye and wheat 
can be grown. Eye put in early in September on summer tilled land 
affords much good pasture in the fall and early spring, and frequently 
a fair crop of hay or grain will follow. Prolific crops of vegetables, 
small fruits, and alfalfa can be grown with light rainfall by putting 
rows about three feet apart and giving frequent cultivation." 

Following the lead of these suggestions, the reader of the Cyclo- 
pedia will find of special interest such articles as those on Dry 
Farming, Vol. VII, pp. 222-246 ; Alkali Soils, Vol. VII, pp. 343 and 
373, and Vol. V, p. 121 ; Fodder Plants, Vol. IV, pp. 132-162 ; Seed 
Bed, Vol. yil, p. 21 ; Tillering of Grains, Vol. IV, p. 380, as well as 
the discussions of range methods of rearing sheep and cattle, which, 
though becoming of less importance as the farm raising of meat 
animals increases, have not yet died out by a good deal. 



THE IMMENSE FIELD OP IRRIGATION 

On the subject of irrigation, the vastness of which is typified by 
the wonderful achievements of the U. S. Reclamation Service, we 
quote Mr. C. J. Blanchard, Statistician of that bureau: 

''The reclaimed areas in the Inter-mountain States of Montana, 
Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, 
together with portions of eastern Washington and Oregon, present 
inviting opportunities for practical and scientific farmers. 

' ' This region possesses every gradation of climate from the north 
temperate to the semi-tropic and crops of almost every kind may be 
grown. The possibilities of agriculture apparently are unlimited 
where water can be supplied. In a region so varied in its physiog- 
raphy, climate, and soils, it is rather difficult to define with exactitude 
the particular kind of farming which offers the greatest opportunities, 
both as regards present returns and permanent betterment of agri- 
cultural conditions. My own thought is that desert agriculture ulti- 
mately must be intensive and diversified. However, until the pioneer 
stage is more largely passed and the abundant natural resources of 
this region are developed, farming in general must follow certain 
narrow lines and be governed by conditions more or less local. 

' ' A careful study of crop statistics will show conclusively that ir- 
rigated farming pays. The average returns per acre from irrigated 
lands all over the West exceed those of the humid States. The cropped 
areas of the Government farms, largely tilled by men of small means 
and of limited experience, show an average of $25 per acre as against 
$16.30 per acre for the United States. It is only too evident, even 
to a casual observer, that the reclaimed lands are still far from a 
condition of proper tillage or intelligent cropping. The present aver- 
age yield cannot be assumed, therefore, as a limit of future possibili- 



BIG PLANS FOR BIGGER PROFITS 11 

ties. In fact, the contrary is proven on almost every farm where skill 
and practice have been shown. 

"At the present time, irrigated agriculture revolves, to a great 
extent, around one crop — alfalfa. This legume is the soil builder and 
the mortgage lifter of the rainless country. It brings to the soil the 
element of humus which is lacking in the arid region. It supplies 
the most valuable forage that can be grown and it prepares the land 
for the growing of every kind of crop for which this region is adapted. 
It may be said that this crop, for many years to come, will be a deter- 
mining factor in the kind of farming which the irrigated region will 
follow. 

' ' The man of average capital and experience who seeks a location 
in the West should be governed by these conditions. He will first 
put his land in alfalfa. He will purchase enough stock to feed all he 
grows. He will thus enrich his soil and bring it into proper tilth. 
His later efforts toward specialization and intensification will depend 
largely upon local conditions and requirements and upon his own 
desires. 

"I am convinced that the chance of failure for the man who 
takes up an irrigated farm and follows the above method is less than 
in any other section of the country. A small dairy intelligently 
handled, with pigs and chickens as side lines, is about as sure an 
enterprise in the West as I have yet seen. I believe, too, that our 
Government projects offer the best opportunities for men of moderate 
means to undertake. 

"Under our new law, the settler has the benefit of the entire 
investment the Government has made in watering the land on a basis 
of 5 per cent, a year. His land costs him nothing. After he has paid 
the 5 per cent, for twenty years, he gets a receipt in full for all con- 
struction charge, at the same time becoming a part owner in the 
irrigation system. 

' ' As the country develops and the lands are in alfalfa a few years, 
the opportunity for the specialist will come. It has come in a few 
places already. Great returns from crops grown for seed are as- 
sured. Notable among these crops are grains and grasses, potatoes, 
onions, peas, beans, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Colorado's west- 
ern slope is producing 500 bushels of potatoes per acre and nearly all 
true to type. Idaho 's peas are the seed crop for New England growers. 
Alfalfa and clover seed from irrigated farms top the market. Such 
crops are always big money crops and never feel the depression of 
overstocked markets. 

"The irrigated West, therefore, invites the general farmer as 
well as the crop specialist and offers both an equal and splendid field 
for their activities. ' ' 

The keynote, says Mr. Blanehard, is alfalfa. Look there, for the 
following discussions, and familiarize yourself with this most won- 
derful of crops : As a Soiling Crop, Vol. I, p. 156 ; As a Stock Food, 
Vol. I, p. 327 ; Alfalfa Feeding, Vol. I, p. 166 ; Alfalfa Hay, Vol. IV, 
p. 192 ; As Forage, Vol. IV, p. 80 ; Culture of Alfalfa, Vol. IV, pp. 
32-59 ; Diseases, Vol. VI, p. 576, and Insect Enemies, Vol. VI, p. 205 ; 
and Nodules, the heart of the crop's secret powers, Vol. IV, p. 123. 



12 COBURN'S MANUAL 

Irrigation covers many pages ; for example, Vol. VII, pp. 276-305 ; Vol. 
V, pp. 115, 120, 330 ; Vol. IV, p. 233, etc. So, too, the Principles of 
Drainage, that essential adjunct of irrigation, should be studied in 
Vol. V, p. 120 ; Vol. VII, pp. 105, 123, 258-276, 285, 303, and else- 
where. Similarly, Intensive Farming in all its phases as discussed 
in Vol. VII, pp. 184-201, should be reviewed, and its principles ap- 
plied to any of the vegetable or fruit-growing activities mentioned 
elsewhere but of decided importance here. Among the special crops 
that have brought remarkable success to irrigation farmers is the 
Sugar Beet, which is carefully discussed in Vol. V, pp. 620-646. 

§VII. THE PACIFIC STATES 

With 80 much emphasis being placed on the need of diversification 
over most of the country it is interesting to hear a different note 
sounded in the extreme West. Prof. E. J. Wickson, of the Uni- 
versity of California, a man who has long held the affection and 
esteem of agriculturists and horticulturists everywhere, writes thus: 

* ' Twenty years ago there was a sharp analogy between California 
and the South [in the prevalence of a one-crop farming system] ; 
to-day there is none for we have escaped so far from our old, one-crop 
(wheat) that we are buying in Oregon and Washington and not pro- 
ducing enough for our own use. Therefore I am now exhorting 
Californians to grow more wheat, while two or three decades ago I 
was pleading with them to grow less. We are in fact widely diversi- 
fied ; and we are also advancing on a basis of live stock, rotation, and 
green manures. This policy is exactly right for California, for she 
has demonstrated it by experience. I do not speak for Oregon and 
Washington, but believe they are on the same line but not so far 
along. ' ' 

One can therefore, apparently, run the gamut of farm crops in 
thinking of the Pacific Coast, with an excellent chance that somewhere 
in that wonderful stretch of country any one of them will pay, and 
pay well. He might turn first to Vol. IV and pursue the subject of 
all the grain crops, the more specialized crops like Rice and Hops, and 
the still more specialized Prickly Pear, Castor Bean, or Mushroom; 
thence to Vol. V and the articles on Flax, Tobacco, Hemp, Cotton, 
and the Corn family; also to the many-sided fruit industry from 
Olives to Strawberries; or to Commercial Forestry, which, in the 
mighty mountains of the Coast Range, makes a strong appeal to strong 
men. Following the harvesting of the lumber crop comes the clear- 
ing of the cut-over land (Vol. VII, p. 22), wherein, as in the later 
cultivation of extensive areas, the traction engine is a powerful agent 
(Vol. VII, p. 25). And finally, in a section where climate, rainfall, 
soil, and all natural factors seem to conspire to assist the growth of 
plants, it will be most natural for the farmer, whatever his specialty, 
to give attention to the esthetic features of his home, to study the 
making and care of a lawn (Vol. VII, p. 67), the raising of flowers 
and shrubs (Vol. V, p. 469), and the attractive, efficient planning 
and building of the farmstead and the home (Vol. VII, p. 100). 



CHAPTER II 
GOOD NEWS FOR THE FARMER'S WIFE 

Not so very long ago it was almost universally true that the 
hardest worked and least rewarded creature on the farm was the 
farmer's wife. Even to-day, in all too many cases her lot is unwar- 
rantably hard, her responsibilities and tasks are excessive and her 
opportunities for rest and recreation altogether too infrequent. 

But a new note has been struck ; a new message is already going 
out to the women on the farms, a message of hope and opportunity, 
of new conditions and a new life. And it is this message, too, that 
the Farmers' Cyclopedia is helping to carry far and wide. 

The sounding of this note has been indicated in two ways ; there 
have become apparent two symptoms of an improvement in the atmos- 
phere and sentiment that envelop the farm home. First, there has 
been an awakening of the farm woman herself, a realization of her 
desires, her needs, and her rights, and the courage and readiness to 
express her thoughts. Many of the letters published in the farm 
journals furnish an index to the progress in this direction. Whether 
they express firm, well-defined convictions, simple but heartfelt re- 
quests or blind, unanalyzed yearnings, in any case they tell of minds 
no longer dormant, of lips no longer sealed. 

WHAT THE FARM WOMAN WANTS 

And the keynote of their cry is — what? Can it be crystallized 
into one desire? Perhaps, and perhaps not. At any rate close to 
the central idea, to the concentrated longing of the farm woman, are 
these thoughts: ''More appreciation and more of the conveniences 
that modern science is putting within reach of all." Thus the fol- 
lowing letters from the columns of a practical farm paper seem 
strikingly characteristic : 

WHAT THE FARM WOMAN NEEDS 

*'What the farm woman needs, if anything, is appreciation. Her 
husband and children and neighbors have taken her as a matter of 
fact, and often do not consider her wonderful influence for good, 
or her usefulness, until it is too late. When she lies down and dies 
her husband realizes what she was to him. He sees the many things 
then undone that were scarcely noticeable under her administration, 
she did them so kindly, so gently, and so modestly. 

"What the farm woman needs is to be appreciated, to be loved 
and honored for her virtues. She is the mainstay of our civilization, 
the counselor and moral support of her husband, and the whole 
dependence of her children." 

13 



14 COBURN'S MANUAL 

' ' Let the wife be a partner in the profits of the farm as well as a 
sharer of the work and hardships. Let her have her own share to 
spend as she pleases, to buy any conveniences that appeal to her, as 
well as the pretty articles of dress and furniture that every woman 
loves. She should have her share and feel that she has a right to it 
and not be compelled to beg for money and probably be refused. If 
the farmer gives her a pig or calf let it be hers when it becomes 
a fine hog or steer worth a price. And for pity's sake, let her have 
her produce money! She is the one who earns it. They are her 
chickens when they have to be cared for ; but when they go to market 
they are usually called 'ours' or 'mine' by the farmer." 

' ' The needs of the women in our part of Oklahoma exist in every 
form from a simple device for a sanitary salt shaker to the power 
to express our desires for the welfare of our children by a right to 
vote. 

"Speaking from a tenant's point of view, Ave need more con- 
veniences to help in our daily labor. We need houses that will 
protect us from the cold in winter and the dashing rains in spring, 
and that will be cooler and more sanitary in summer. Few of us 
have them. 

"Another of our great needs is water, purer and more plentiful. 
The average tenant housewife of our section of Oklahoma has to 
economize with this life-sustaining element, hauled, perhaps, from a 
not altogether desirable source in a barrel. 

"After we have acquired the water, shelter, a screened-in porch 
or a screen door we ought to have a better road to our market, a rest- 
room in town where after a long, tiresome ride we may make our- 
selves more presentable before we go out to do our shopping. 

' ' We need a better social environment, such as would be provided 
by Sunday-school, church, and literary society, of which we have little 
in the country. 

"And last, but not least, we need the lawful right to express 
ourselves by ballot. When given this we shall be able to turn the 
wheel of progress at least to the point where we may demand that 
we be looked upon not as mere pieces of machinery, which should 
move smoothly whether properly fitted into their surroundings or not. 
Give us intellectual interests, a little muscular assistance, and due 
compensation, and see what grandeur Oklahoma will display; see 
womanhood ennobled in the eyes of the next generation. ' ' 

THE FARM BETTERMENT MOVEMENT 

The second sign of changed conditions is an actual, general 
movement for farm betterment; for many of the identical improve- 
ments, in fact, for which farm women are asking. Whether it has 
come in response to their pleadings, or as a simultaneous, independent 
element in a universal advance of agricultural philosophy, does not 
matter. The important fact is that many agencies, individual and 
collective, are working for a new and happier life for the farmer's 
wife. 



GOOD NEWS FOR THE FARMER'S WIFE 15 

Turning, then, to the Farmers' Cyclopedia, and in particular to 
Vol. VII, what suggestions and help can it bring into the woman's 
realm ? 

For the woman whose home is yet in the making, or in process 
of remaking, there are the discussions of the Farmhouse and Its Plan- 
ning on pages 100 to 117. There she will find suggestions of im- 
provements that may or may not have occurred to her, regarding 
the arrangement of her especial domain — the kitchen, and of the 
bathroom, bedrooms, etc. The advantages and simple requirements 
of a porch, either for sleeping or summer living purposes, are dis- 
cussed on page 108 ; and the related matter of screens on page 110. 
Many a housewife has undoubtedly deplored the bother and incon- 
venience of swarms of flies and mosquitoes without knowing or re- 
calling that the insects are also active agents in the spreading of 
such deadly diseases as typhoid, yellow fever, and malaria. 

CONVENIENCES FOR THE FARM HOME 

The lighting of the farm home may not fall entirely within the 
woman's province, although if she has a dozen or more lamps and 
lanterns to care for it certainly does. Nevertheless, in her modern 
role of ''partner in the business" she should have a chance to ex- 
press her opinions. The discussion of Lighting on page 112 will help 
equip her for this, as the article on Heating, on the same page, will 
give her arguments to advance in favor of more convenient systems 
than open fires or half a dozen coal stoves. 

Of even more vital importance are Water Supply, Sewage, and 
Garbage Disposal Systems, on page 113 and following, in which con- 
nection the discussion of the Sanitary Privy (page 131) is also valu- 
able. Throughout the country, but most of all in the South, where 
the hook worm plague is a direct result of unsanitary conditions, the 
modern inventions for disposing of the refuse on isolated rural prop- 
erties have accomplished, and are yet to accomplish, infinite benefits. 
At the same time it is always well to be equipped for emergencies, 
and the article on Disinfecting and Disinfectants for the Home (page 
658) contains invaluable suggestions for use in time of both sickness 
and health. Speaking of health, every woman on or off the farm 
should know something of the Dangerous Drugs (page 651) that 
are so widely advertised and circulated among unsuspecting pur- 
chasers who never know that the nostrums that seem to bring quick 
relief are but temporary deadeners of pain and, frequently, the cause 
of far greater, insidious, permanent harm. Such are many of the 
so-called Soothing Syrups (page 650), which often make a powerful 
appeal to overworked farm mothers, but which are no less than poison 
to the infants to whom they are administered. 

HOW TO FEED THE FARM FAMILY 

Better than the curing of existing ills is their prevention by 
means of wise living, in which no factor is more important than food. 
For a scientific yet practical knowledge of food materials, what they 



16 COBURN'S MANUAL 

are for, and how to prepare and use them, the housewife should read 
carefully the section on Home Economics, from page 534 to page 648. 
Here she will find articles on the Composition of Foods and 
Their Relative Cost and Value, on Cereals, Breakfast Foods, Bread 
Making, the Canning of Fruits and Vegetables, Jelly Making, the 
Use of Nuts and Oils, Keeping Foods, Food Adulteration and Simple 
Tests for Purity, Preservatives and Coloring Materials in Food, 
Scientific Human Feedings, and Errors in Food Economy. Then be- 
fore she forgets it she should turn back to page 131 and read the 
latest theories in regard to the Ice Chest. 

All this deals with the inside of the house, but a conspicuous 
feature of the new life for farm women is the theory that they shall 
spend part of their time out of doors — not in hanging out clothes, 
sweeping the porch, and the like, but enjoying some sort of change 
and recreation. This may be in caring for a flower garden, playing 
with the children, or merely taking a Avalk over the fields or through 
the woods; but it must be spontaneous and not enforced. And lest 
someone ask how this can be possible on a farm, let us ask first why, 
if the farmer's wife has to walk half a mile or so in preparing every 
meal — due to an inconvenient and unsystematic layout of the kitchen 
— and why, if a new, well-planned arrangement can reduce these 
necessary steps to one-eighth or one-tenth, should she not have the 
right to walk the rest of that half mile out of doors if she desires? 
This is not so far-fetched. Says Isabel C. Barrows in a recent pub- 
lication of the New York State College of Agriculture: 

WHICH LIFE FOR YOUR WIFE? 

"Two pictures are in my mind. One is a great Canadian kitchen. 
. . . The floor space of the kitchen took an hour or two to scrub; 
every time a meal was prepared the tired farmer's wife had to walk 
about a mile between cupboard and table, sinkroom, or springhouse, 
and stove. This is no exaggeration ; it was actual measurement. She 
would have thought it impossible to spend as much time in walking 
through the beautiful maple grove. 

''The products of the kitchen, so far as cooking was concerned, 
were fried pork, . . . griddle cakes fried in lard, doughnuts fried 
in deep fat, hot coffee, boiled potatoes, turnips, cabbage, roast or 
boiled pork, beef, lamb or chicken, pie, green tea, cookies, cakes, beans, 
hot biscuits. . . . That meant hours of cooking, miles of walking, a 
big pile of wood to burn, and several pails of water from the spring, 
some rods away. There were half a dozen in the family, all dyspeptics, 
and the poor wife was always tired. 

"The other picture is of an old-fashioned farmhouse, which had 
a large storeroom opening off from the kitchen. Shelves were on two 
sides, a door on one, and a window on the fourth. An up-to-date man 
took the old farm. A spring up on the hill was piped and the water 
brought into this storeroom. A good blue-flame kerosene stove was 
placed beside it on a zinc-covered table. A small portable oven was 
hung above it, which could be lowered over the stove when it was 
needed for baking. Supplies of all kinds for cooking were placed 



GOOD NEWS FOR THE FARMER'S WIFE 17 

on the shelves, with cooking and serving dishes. The housewife 
could stand in one spot in that little room and do every bit of her 
cooking without taking one step. A stool, which when not in use was 
slipped under the table, was used for all work that she could do sit- 
ting down. 

"The food included no meat, but it was amply nutritious. . . . 
Cooking in this household was made easy, the food was excellent, and 
the digestion perfect. Instead of walking in the kitchen the good 
wife walked in the woods, and the breath of wild flowers saluted her 
nostrils instead of the odor of grease. ' ' 

THE woman's realm OUTDOORS 

Thus we should touch upon the important subjects of Economy in 
Home Management (Vol. VII, p. 666) and the still broader field of 
Home Relations (Vol. VII, p. 670). But to return to outdoor con- 
siderations and the Farmers' Cyclopedia: The farm woman of the 
new regime will want first of all To Prevent the Desolate Home (Vol. 
VII, p. 77) and one solution of the problem will be the application 
of principles of Landscape Architecture and Garden Planning. Let 
her, therefore, take up Vol. V and begin on page 469 the study of 
Landscape Gardening for the Country Home, Shrubs (page 473), 
Vines (page 474), Flowers and Flower Gardens (pages 479 to 482). 
In Vol VII also the articles on Lawns (page 67) and Trees and 
Shrubbery (page 73) are interesting and practical. The source of 
all such materials is an interesting point and is touched upon in 
Vol. V, p. 482, under Nurserymen. 

It should not rest entirely with the garden to supply blossoms, 
not, at least, while Window Gardens (Vol. V, p. 486) may be had. A 
list of Plants for this purpose will be found on page 488, and a dis- 
cussion of Plants for Indoor Decoration in General, on page 485. 

There is another side to flower-growing activities which offers 
enticing opportunities to farm women who are able to take advantage 
of them. This is Commercial Flower Gardening (Vol. V, p. 490), 
whether with the Raising of Cut Flowers (page 492) in mind, or Bulb 
Growing (page 493), or the Raising and Selling of Flowers as a Crop 
(page 499). And then there is in addition the possibility of raising 
Oil-Bearing Plants, and of Home Perfumery-Making (page 494). 

Possibly these suggestions seem to be loading unfair responsibili- 
ties on the already overburdened shoulders of the farmer 's wife. This 
is not, however, the intention, and lest that result attend, the addi- 
tional suggestion is made that wherever possible the housewife 
play the part of superintendent or foreman indoors, just as the 
farmer is foreman out on the farm. Thus let her direct the house- 
keeping and attend to the more important or delicate matters herself, 
but turn the wearisome chores over to hired help, who shall be paid 
— and here is the crux of the plan — out of the profits of the side 
issues from which the farm woman may obtain pleasure as well as 
financial returns. 

In addition to the raising of flowers in the garden and in the 
greenhouse, there may be suggested as possible sources of such profits, 



18 COBURN'S MANUAL 

Poultry (Vol. I, pp. 518-626), Bees and Bee Keeping (Vol. I, p. 648, 
and Vol. VI, p. 401), Specialties in the Vegetable Garden (Vol. IV, 
p. 217), Mushrooms (Vol. IV, p. 650), and the Culture of Weeds 
Used in Medicine (Vol. IV, p. 553). In connection with these various 
industries, however extensively or intensively developed, it will be 
necessary and desirable to be informed as to the Diseases of Poultry 
(Vol. II, pp. 554-609), Methods of Preserving Eggs (Vol. I, p. 625), 
the Insects Affecting Dooryard Plants (Vol. VI, p. 270), and House 
Plants (Vol. VI, p. 256). And finally the housewife will wish and, 
in fact, may need to be equipped to fight Household Pests, which 
are discussed in Vol. VI on page 328, and, under the headings Rats 
and Ants on pages 672 and 676 of Vol I. 



CHAPTER III 
WHAT THE FARM HOLDS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 

All of us, probably, have known public speakers to win en- 
thusiastic applause by fervent and touching references to "boys and 
girls — the best crop on any farm. ' ' The simile is excellent ; the trouble 
is that people, especially farmers, accept it and agree with the senti- 
ment, but don't come within a mile of living up to it. That is, 
however sincerely they may believe the statement, in many cases 
they do so wholly in theory. Crops, for instance, are fed and cared 
for, their environment is made and maintained as favorable as pos- 
sible, weeds are kept down, and a moisture supply kept up ; no step 
that can increase growth, development, value, and efficiency is neg- 
lected. And so it is in even greater degree with a prize colt or calf, 
a record-promising heifer, or a highly-bred pig. 

How many farm children, on the contrary, are fed, sheltered, and 
clothed — in a way — and then left to grow up more like weeds than 
like crops? Except that whereas plant weeds are let alone, these 
human weeds, as soon as they are old enough to be useful, are, 
whether consciously or not, grouped with and treated as part of 
the work stock. There are pigs and chickens to be fed, cows to be 
gone after, butter to be churned, seed potatoes to be cut, onions to 
be weeded, the garden to be hoed, wood to be chopped and carried, 
dishes to be washed — innumerable tasks like these always waiting, 
and, as ''they ain't hard work, why let the children do 'em; it'll keep 
'em out * mischief. * ' 

THE children's SHARE IN FARM WORK 

Of course there is something in each of the clauses of that argu- 
ment. Light tasks are better suited to small hands and active bodies, 
and there is such a thing as too much leisure and idleness ; besides, if 
the farmer and his wife are constantly busy, why should not the rest 
of the family be doing their share? 

The difficulty is in determining what is a fair share for the 
juvenile members of the farm family. Think again of the show colt 
and the prize heifer (which in this respect are even more analogous to 
the children than the hypothetical crop we started with) . Their life of 
active labor, whether in the show ring, before the plow, or at the milk 
pail, ranges from five to ten years, beginning only after the animal 
has enjoyed anywhere from one to three years of absolute freedom 
and, at most, a little light, preliminary training, A period of any- 
where from ten to thirty per cent, of its working lifetime is therefore 
spent simply in growing, developing, and enjoying itself. This is 
not only fair, it is good farming and good business : it pays, 

19 



20 COBURN'S MANUAL 

What, then, is the justification, the logic, the profit, the sense, 
indeed, of trying to get every ounce of work out of the boy or girl 
from the earliest possible opportunity? His or her productive, effi- 
cient lifetime may be thirty, forty, fifty years or even longer ; it repre- 
sents, not a few records or show-ring prizes or the accomplishment 
of so much physical labor, but a widespread, permanent influence 
on other human beings, the actual management of the farm and 
home later on, a share in the government of the nation and the de- 
velopment of the community, the maintenance of the name and honor 
of the family. Doesn't this sort of responsibility warrant a period 
of free, untrammeled growth, and another of careful, systematic 
training, with generous, appreciative treatment meanwhile ? 

This may seem like making much noise about a comparatively 
unusual condition, but let those who think so go into the really rural 
districts where extension work, county agents, and reading courses 
have not penetrated, and then work gradually back into the com- 
munities where farms are more developed and more successful, or 
where they are being established by the newer generations with 
modern ideas. Two conditions will give a new idea of child life on 
farms. The first will be the pitiful, abject, slavish lot of the boy 
and girl so prevalent in the more remote regions; and the second 
will be the remarkable extent to which such conditions obtain on 
occasional farms as you approach the more highly developed, more 
modern — one might even say, more ' ' civilized ' ' localities. 

HOW ABOUT THE COUNTRY SLUMS? 

At this point you will probably insist that there are just as 
many slums in the cities as in the country; that child labor in fac- 
tories is just as common, just as hard, and just as reprehensible as 
child labor on farms; and that it isn't the amount of work that 
drives children from the farm, but the inaccessibility and scarcit}^ of 
amusements, the montonony and uninteresting nature of the work 
and the environment, and the lack of any return or wage for their 
efforts. 

Granting the truth of these things, the fault is 7iot with the 
farm, but with the farmer or whosoever causes it to appear monotonous 
and ugly in the children's eyes. In a word, the farm, any farm, is 
not of itself uninteresting, monotonous, or without recreation possi- 
bilities. Far from it; the farm holds, for any boy and girl, a life 
of fascinating experiences, of pleasurable duties and profitable pleas- 
ures, of education in science, art, business management, and character 
building, a life of which any man or woman can proudly sti'ive to 
become worthy, and of which, in the living of it, one can be rightfully 
proud. To open the gateway to this life is another of the purposes of 
the Farmers' Cyclopedia. 

THE SORT OF CARE THAT COUNTS 

These thoughts that we have been sharing have been in the minds 
of the scores of men and women who helped make the Cyclopedia. 



WHAT THE FARM HOLDS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 21 

Let the latter therefore be a guide for the farmer and his wife in 
opening this new life to, and creating this wonderful opportunity for, 
their children. Let them read other opinions on the problem of 
Keeping Boys on the Farm (Vol. VII, p. 76) and on the Treatment 
of Children (Vol. VII, p. 672). They have studied the balancing of 
rations for hens and cows, let them look into the Food Requirements 
of Boys and Girls (Vol. VII, p. 638). Let them give a thought to 
the arrangement and decoration of their Bedrooms (Vol. VII, p. 107) 
and to the suitability of their Clothing (Vol. VII, p. 669), more than 
is necessary in merely cutting down a pair of father's overalls. The 
"modern improvements," such as lighting, heating, water, and sewage 
systems referred to in Chapter III, will all have an important bear- 
ing on the children's attitude tow^ard life, not to speak of their 
health. Indeed, a Shower Bath for the Boys (Vol. VII, p. 669), that 
can be made in an hour at almost no cost, may prove a greater 
physical, mental, and moral stimulus than the overbusy parents 
ever dreamed of. (However, let it supplement but not replace an 
occasional visit to the swimmin' hole.) 

These parents, we are assuming, prefer having their children at 
home evenings rather than chasing to the nearest town, to the 
' ' movie show, " or a dance hall at every opportunity. This is natural 
and proper, but why not put a revised interpretation on "having the 
children at home "? Why not, instead of having this mean every 
evening in the sitting room with father invariably reading his farm 
paper and mother sewing or knitting or darning, let it mean an oc- 
casional jaunt for the whole family — perhaps to a "movie," perhaps 
to some neighbor's home, perhaps to a grange or an institute or a 
corn club meeting. Don't try to shut the world out only to have it 
sneak in secretly, hiding its vices under a cloak of attractive novelty; 
but let the whole family go out into it together, find that which is good 
and useful and enjoyable, and bring it back to be part of their farm 
and home and family life. 

THE NEW AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 

Such worth-while features are the Traveling and other Agricul- 
tural Libraries (Vol. VII, p. 694), Agricultural Fairs (Vol. VII, p. 
672), Farmers' Institutes (Vol. VII, p. 678) and Institutes for 
Women (page 692), Boys' Corn Clubs (Vol. IV, p. 303, and Vol. 
VII, p. 691), Girls' Canning Clubs, and the many sorts of organiza- 
tions and activities that combine social intercourse and education. 

It is in relation to the latter — to education — that the farmer's 
duty to his sons and daughters is greater than it has ever been. 
First, because theoretical knowledge and a systematic course in 
"learning how to learn" are essential to-day as never before, whether 
on the farm or in any other vocation; second, because the facilities 
for practical, thorough education have been multiplied and developed 
until they are within the reach of all. Truly the noble aim of Ezra 
Cornell to "found an institution where any person can obtain in- 
struction in any subject" has become the keynote of modern agri- 
cultural teaching. There are the public and normal schools in which 



22 COBURN'S MANUAL 

elementary agriculture is taught (Vol. VII, p. 689), the Agricultural 
High Schools (page 688), and the Agricultural Colleges and Experi- 
ment Stations (pages 683-685, 696-697), and Colleges of Forestry 
(Vol. V, p. 437), which in a score of ways, through many channels, 
are carrying the light of knowledge to the aid of every individual 
who desires it and will make an effort to take it. Let farm fathers 
and mothers read the brief sketch of the History of Agricultural 
Education (Vol. VII, pp. 675-698) and, while they give thanks for 
living in this era of free knowledge, determine to take full advantage 
of its opportunities. 

But they need not look outside for all that is to be learned. Let 
them look closer, even within the boundaries of their own farm, and 
discover a text-book therein that is as wide as man's experience; a 
teacher that excels all others — for it is Nature herself. And then 
there are her two assistant instructors, one at times severe but always 
just — Experience; the other ever present, ever sympathetic — one's 
Interest in one's own work and property. 

In urging this realization of the value of the farm as a school, 
let me quote Dr. Liberty H. Bailey, for many years Dean of the 
College of Agriculture of Cornell University: 

THE EDUCATIONAL OBLIGATION OP THE FARMER 

**The farmer, as well as the colleges, carries a natural responsi- 
bility toward the development of a better agricultural civilization. 
Merely to be a good farmer is not a sufficient object in life. Even 
though we develop ideal schools and colleges in which agricultural 
training and education have an important part, the farmer himself 
will still carry the obligation to aid in the process of education. 

* ' If the college of agriculture supplies the student with the prin- 
ciples and theory, with accurate knowledge, with the outlook and the 
will, with the trained intelligence, and with manual skill in a good 
number of special operations, it is equally the duty of the farmers 
of the country to provide the means of supplying the necessary actual 
farm practice that is required to make the rising generation effective 
countrymen. 

"There are some things that a student should Imow before he 
ever goes to college. If he is a farm boy he ought to know how 
to harness a horse, to plow, to plant, to harvest, and to perform all 
the customary operations of the farm. The farmer cannot delegate 
the responsibility of training his sons in these arts. After such a 
young man has completed his college course, he ought to be able to 
go directly back to the farm and execute a great deal of what he has 
learned. If he is obliged to seek work, he should be able to find it on 
any good farm that is in need of labor. 

HOW A CITY BOY CAN LEARN FARMING 

"If a student is not farm-reared, he must then secure his farm 
practice by working on an actual farm for a year, more or less. It 
would be much better if he were to have this practical farm experience 



WHAT THE FARM HOLDS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 23 

before he ever goes to college. It is necessary that he not only have 
knowledge and skill in the farm operations, but he should also be fully 
informed of the rural mind. If he does not secure the farm training 
before he goes to college, then he must get it after he graduates and 
before he takes up a farm of his own or before he expects to become 
a manager of a farm. In some cases, students drop out for a year 
of the course and secure their experience ; this is often a better prac- 
tice than to leave the farm training until after the end of the course. 
Some students get their farm practice by spending their summer va- 
cations in this work, but this ordinarily does not produce the best 
results, although there are some city boys so apt and industrious 
and adaptable as to enable them to secure the practical side by means 
of vacation work. 

' ' I have said that the farmers of the country cannot escape their 
responsibility in the education of the rising generation of persons who 
are to be farmers. I mean exactly what I say. The colleges of agri- 
culture alone cannot handle the situation. Every good farm is not 
only an object-lesson, but it ought to contribute something toward 
the advanced training of at least one young man in agricultural 
lines. We must have enough farmers with public spirit to provide 
the farm training that the educated man must have ; and the farmer 
must feel that he is under responsibility to cooperate with the col- 
leges and schools to help the student. I do not mean that he shall 
be a philanthropist in the ordinary sense, but he must recognize the 
fact that even though a student may not be skilled in every par- 
ticular and may not earn much wages, he is bound to teach such 
student, if he takes him, to the best of his ability. This will do much 
for the farmer as well as for the student. 

"In parts of the Old World farmers take students as appren- 
tices, the student paying the farmer what it is worth for the privilege 
and for his counsel and direction. I wish that such a practice were 
developed in this country for those persons who are wholly unfa- 
miliar with farming operations, and who want to do the actual work. 
But I also wish that farmers were more ready to take one or two 
students, when they are able to do so, and to give them counsel and 
advice, and to help them to learn the business, and then pay the 
student what he earns. 

"I think that farmers do not sufficiently realize how much they 
have to contribute, or how important their farms are educationally. 
Every good farm has many of the elements of a good school. If the 
college has much to give, so has the farm much to give, and the 
farm is making a very real contribution to society. It is of the first 
importance that as many students as possible come in actual contact 
with good farms and active farmers." 

THE FARM AS A SCHOOL 

Thus the way to use this veritable "farm school" is to let it 
illustrate and explain the theories and facts that are found in books 
— the Farmers' Cyclopedia foremost among them. Read about Soils, 
Their History (Vol. VII, p. 311), what they are (page 307), and what 



24 COBURN'S MANUAL 

kinds there are (pages 310 to 345) ; then study those of your fields 
and your neighbors ' ; strive to identify the type, and by observing its 
condition consider what treatment it calls for and what fertilizers 
(page 444). Compare your cropping system with that which has 
permitted the cultivation of a field for 4,000 years (page 360). Then 
go deeper and contrast the appearance, nature, formation, and value 
of the Subsoil (page 312). 

For the study of plants and their forms and families there is 
material in abundance not only among the farm crops, cereals, vege- 
tables, fruits, etc., that have been referred to in previous chapters, 
but in the innumerable, often insignificant, Weeds (Vol. V, pp. 530- 
565), many of which exhibit marvelous powers of endurance, adapta- 
tion, and vigor. The threatening subject of Plant Pathology be- 
comes much simpler when studied gradually and practically under 
the title Plant Diseases (Vol. VI, pp. 425-675), and with the help 
of some smutted grain heads from the twenty-acre lot, scabby apples 
or potatoes from the pile of culls, or such other specimens as can 
all too often be found about the farm. 

Then there is the vast field of Animal Life, beginning, if you 
wish, with microscopic Bacteria (Vol. I, p. 202; Vol. Ill, p. 150; Vol. 
VI, p. 441; Vol. VII, pp. 495, 524, 527) — so small you cannot see 
them — and decide whether they are plants or animals, and then pro- 
gressing into the world of Insects (Vol. VI, pp. 17-424). There is 
some chemistry, too, to be learned before we go farther, in the prob- 
lems that deal with the making and use of Spray Mixtures (Vol. VI, 
pp. 33, 114, 150, 158, 177, 249, and Vol. VII, p. 609) for both insect 
and disease pests. The next steps would be to Birds (Vol. I, pp. 
630-648) and then to the lesser wild creatures of the countryside — 
Bats (Vol. I, p. 652), Gophers (page 675), Rabbits (page 667), 
Prairie Dogs (page 673), Toads (Vol. I, p. 651; Vol. II, p. 582), 
Foxes (Vol. I, p. 653), and all the rest. 

LEARNING BY DOING — AND OWNING 

Long before this, presumably, our boys and girls will have be- 
come acquainted with the larger animals, but it is not fair that they 
should always have to study someone's else horse or calf or lamb, 
any more than that a corn club boy should be expected to learn how 
to raise corn from the plantings of others. Let them have an actual, 
tangible interest and stimulus, therefore, in the ownership of some- 
thing alive — a pig, a calf, a colt, lamb, some hens, or turkeys, or a 
dog — whatever they seem instinctively to turn to. Let this be a 
permanent gift, not a loan; let the boy dispose of his pig when it 
is fat, and the girl her eggs or day-old chicks, and let them keep what 
these bring, whether it be bitter experience that will lead to more 
careful work next time or cash. 

When the actual need arises, if not before, let them learn by 
doing, what to do to stop the flow of blood from a Barbed- Wire Cut 
(Vol. II, p. 169), or how to tell a Bruise (page 173) from a Fracture 
(page 224) ; let them find out how to keep the cat or dog free from 
Parasites (Vol. Ill, p. 657) and teach them to diagnose real diseases 



WHAT THE FABM HOLDS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS 25 

instead of attributing the poor condition of the heifer to Hollow 
Horn (Vol. Ill, p. 86), Wolf in the Tail (page 89), or any such 
fallacious ailment. 

As the pig or sheep grows, look up the Score Card (Vol. I, pp. 
399, 423, etc.) for the breed, and let the youngster discover wherein 
his animal is lacking and how the deficiency can be remedied in 
future breeding. 

WORK versus drudgery 

All this means work for the children, you say. Of course it does. 
But such work with their animals, and tlieir gardens and crops, 
isn't drudgery, and drudgery is the element that makes farm life 
bitter. If there is a fence or a shed to paint, the boy can help, and 
will be glad to do so, provided he is given a good brush for his own, 
and is shown how to take care of it, ''like real painters do" (Vol. 
VII, p. 62). He will find it less tiresome to run the cultivator or 
operate the hay rake if you and he read the History of Farm Ma- 
chines (Vol. VII, p. 84), so that his mind will have something to 
munch on while he is physically busy. He will remember to put 
away tools, at least he will be more likely to, if he is really instructed 
in their use and care and told of their different adaptabilities (Vol. 
IV, p. 228; Vol. VII, p. 31). He won't mind gathering eggs half so 
much if there are trap nests to visit and regular detective records 
to be kept for each of the hens, with the spirit of competition over all. 

So we might go on almost indefinitely, but the principle is ever 
the same — that knowledge of the subject in hand and ownership of 
the materials involved add new interest and destroy much of the 
monotonj'- that would otherwise prove deadening. In other words, 
returning to our original simile, give the boy and girl crop real 
cultivation, feed it, water it, aerate and enrich, and keep friable the 
medium in which it grows. Remember that the harvest is to be 
measured in terms of ambition, achievement, human lives, and human 
souls ; and that the soil must be fertile, and the care and cultivation 
tender, just, sympathetic, and constant. 

Let the spirit of the farm be reflected from the minds and hearts 
of the parents into the minds and hearts of the boys and girls; and 
let that spirit be one of progress, of industry, of knowledge, and of 
everlasting pride in the nobility of their vocation. 



CHAPTER IV 

HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 

Since the Federal and State Departments of Agriculture and 
the State Agricultural Experiment Stations form the source of the 
countless publications around which the Farmers' Cyclopedia has 
been built, it is well that every farmer should gain a clearer idea 
of what those agencies are doing and how they go about doing it. 

THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 

The U. S. Department of Agriculture, it may be unnecessary to 
recall, comprises the office of the Secretary (who is a member of the 
President's Cabinet), thirteen Bureaus or Divisions, a Library, and 
a group of seven Advisory Boards. These subdepartments, with their 
ranking officials (in 1914-15) and a brief statement of their purposes, 
are as follows : • 

Office of the Secretary 

Secretary of Agriculture, David F. Houston. 

The Secretary is charged with the work of promoting agricul- 
ture in its broadest sense. He exercises general supervision and 
control over the affairs of the department and formulates and es- 
tablishes the general policies to be pursued by its various offices and 
branches. 

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Carl Schurz Vrooman. 

Aside from becoming Acting Secretary in the absence of the 
Secretary, the Assistant Secretary is charged with certain special 
duties, such as supervision of the scientific and technical investiga- 
tions of the department, clerical and minor changes in the personnel 
of the department, the publications of the results of technical in- 
vestigations, the preparation of annual reports, etc. 

Chief Clerk, Robert M. Reese. 

Solicitor, Francis G. Caffey. 

Appointment Clerk, R. W. Roberts. 

Office of Information, G. W. Wharton, Chief. 

Established to secure the widest possible circulation of the de- 
partment's discoveries and recommendations. Practically a publicity 
office. 



* From the 1915 Garden and Farm Almanac; 25 cents; Doubleday, Page & Co., 
Garden City. N. Y. 

26 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 27 

Office of Markets, Charles J. Brand, in charge. 

Designed to study market conditions, methods of grading, stand- 
ardizing, packing, and shipping, and the transactions between pro- 
ducer and consumer of farm products. 

Forest Appeals, Thomas G. Shearman, in cliarge. 

For the investigation of appeals from decisions of the Forest 
Service. 

Rural Organization Service, T. N. Carver, Director. 

Designed to promote business organization among farmers in the 
fields of marketing, finance, insurance, cooperative buying, and 
cooperative production. 

Office of Exhibits, F. Lamson-Scribner, Special Agent. 



Bureaus and Divisions 

"Weather Bureau, Charles F. Marvin, Cliief. 

Has charge of weather forecasting, issue and display of fore- 
casts, storm, and flood warnings; gauging and reporting of weather 
stages; maintenance and operation of its telephone and telegraph 
lines; meteorological observations, etc. It includes the following di- 
visions: Forecast, River and Flood, Climatological, Instrument, 
Telegraph, Library, Office of Editor, Printing, Stations and Accounts, 
the Mount Weather Research Observatory, Mount Weather, Va., and 
local stations in forty-four sections of the country. 

Bureau of Animal Industry, A. D. Melvin, CJiief. 

Has charge of the work of the department relating to live stock. 
Deals with the investigation, control, and eradication of animal dis- 
eases, the inspection and quarantine of live stock, the inspection of 
meat and meat-food products, and with animal husbandry and dairy- 
ing. It includes these divisions: Animal Husbandry, Biochemie, 
Dairy, Field Inspection, Meat Inspection, Pathological, Quarantine, 
Zoological, Editorial Office, and an Experiment Station. 

Forest Service, Henry S. Graves, Forester. 

Administers the national forests, studies forest conditions, and 
methods of forest utilization, the properties of woods, the manufac- 
ture of forest products, and gathers and disseminates information 
pertaining to these matters and the relation of forests to the public 
welfare. Its organization is divided into the following: Office of 
the Editor, Branch of Operation, Branch of Lands, Branch of Silvicul- 
ture, Branch of Grazing, Branch of Products, Industrial Investiga- 
tions, and an office handling the Acquisition of Lands under the 
Weeks Law. 

Bureau of Plant Industry, William A. Taylor, Cliief, and Patliolo- 
gist and Physiologist. 

Studies plant life in all its relations to agriculture, through 
offices and divisions as follows; Laboratory of Plant Pathology, 



28 COBURN'S MANUAL 

Pathological Collections and Inspection Work, Fruit-Disease Inves- 
tigations, Forest Pathology Investigations, Cotton and Truck Disease 
and Sugar Plant Investigations, Crop Physiology and Breeding In- 
vestigations, Soil Bacteriology Investigations, Acclimatization and 
Adaptation of Crop Plants and Cotton Breeding, Drug-Plant, Poison- 
ous-Plant, Physiological and Fermentation Investigations, Grain 
Standardization, Agricultural Technology, Biophysical Investigations, 
Seed Testing Laboratories, Cereal Investigations, Corn Investigations, 
Tobacco and Plant Nutrition Investigations, Forage Crop Investiga- 
tions, Alkali and Drought Resistant Plant Breeding Investigations, 
Economic and Systematic Botany, Farm Management Investigations, 
Farmers' Cooperative State Demonstration Work, Dry-Land Agri- 
culture Investigations, Western Irrigation Agriculture, Horticultural 
and Pomological Investigations, Experimental Garden and Grounds, 
Congressional Seed Distribution, Foreign Seed and Plant Introduc- 
tion, and Arlington Experimental Farm. 



Bureau of Chemistry, Carl L. Alsberg, Chief. 

Deals with questions of agricultural chemistry of public interest, 
analytical work, investigations under the food and drugs act, etc. Its 
divisions are: Office of General Administration, State Cooperative 
Food and Drug Control, and the Animal Physiological, Chemical. 
Bacteriological, Beverage, Carbohydrate, Citrus By-Products, Con- 
tracts, Dairy, Drug, Food Control, Food Investigation, Fruit and 
Vegetable Utilization, Leather, and Paper, Microchemical, Nitrogen, 
Organic Investigation, Pharmacognosy, Pharmacological, Plant 
Chemical and Miscellaneous Laboratories. In connection with Field 
Investigation Work, there are the Ethnological and Food Research 
Laboratories, the Food and Drug Inspection, and a corps of collabo- 
rating State officials. 

Bureau of Soils, Milton Whitney, Chief. 

Investigates the relations of soils to climates, and the texture and 
composition of soils in field and laboratory; maps the soils of the 
country ; studies the cause and means of preventing the rise of alkali 
in irrigated soils and the relation of soils to seepage, drainage, etc. 
Its work is done by Laboratories, a Soil Survey Division, and a 
Fertility Investigations Division. 

Bureau of Entomology, L. 0. Howard, Chief. 

Studies insects; experiments with the introduction of beneficial 
species; tests insecticides and insecticide machinery; and identifies 
specimens sent in by inquirers. Its investigations are grouped as 
follows : Insects Affecting Southern Field Crops, Cereal and Forage 
Insects, Insects Affecting Deciduous Plants, Insects Affecting 
Tropical and Subtropical Fruits, Truck Crop and Stored-Product 
Insects, Forest-Insects, Insects Affecting Shade and Ornamental Trees, 
Insects Affecting the Health of Man and Animals, Bee Culture, 6jT)sy 
Moth and Brown Tail Moth, and Miscellaneous. 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 29 

Bureau of Biological Survey, Henry W. Henshaw, Chief. 

Deals with (1) the study of birds and mammals in their relation 
to agriculture, (2) the making of biological surveys, and (3) the 
carrying into effect of the Federal protectory game laws. 

Division of Accounts and Disbursements, A. Zappone, Chief. 

Division of Publications, Jos. A. Arnold, Editor and Chief. 

Conducts all business of the department transacted with the 
Government Printing Office, and the preparation and distribution of 
free publications. (For publications for which charge is made, ad- 
dress the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office. ) 

Bureau of Crops Estimates, Leon M. Estabrook, Chief. 

Issues monthly crop reports, prepares statistical matter for the 
Year-book of the department, and makes investigations and estimates 
as required. Its work is done by a Crop Reporting Board, a Division 
of Forecasts, a Division of Estimates, and a Field Service. 

Library, Claribel R. Barnett, Librarian. 

Office of Experiment Stations, A, C. True, Director. 

Cooperates with State agricultural colleges and experiment sta- 
tions and issues the Experiment Station Record. Its organization in- 
cludes Relations with Institutions for Agricultural Research, Editorial 
Division, Division of Insular Experiment Stations (Alaska, Hawaii, 
Porto Rico, and Guam), Relations with Agricultural Colleges and 
Schools, Relations with Farmers' Institutes, Nutrition Investigations, 
Drainage Investigations, and Irrigation Investigations. 

Office of Public Roads, Logan "Waller Page, Director. 

Studies systems of road management and methods of road build- 
ing, improvement, and maintenance; details engineers to assist local 
officials in road work ; tests road materials ; conducts a one-year post- 
graduate course in highway engineering ; prepares and exhibits models 
of road construction, etc. It includes divisions for Road Manage- 
ment, Road Building and Maintenance, Road Material, and Field 
Investigations. 

Advisory Boards 

Committee on Buildings. — R. M. Reese {Chief Clerk) ; Leon M. 
Estabrook (Bureau of Statistics), and James E. Jones {Bureau of 
Plant Industry). 

Insecticide and Fungicide Board. — J. K. Haywood, M. B. Waite, 
H. L. Quaintance, James A. Emery, and J. G. Shibley. 

Created to assist in the enforcement of the insecticide act of 1910. 

Federal Horticultural Board. — C. L. Marlatt, W. A. Orton, George 
B. Sudworth, W. D. Hunter, and H. V. Steubenrauch. 

Created to assist in the enforcement of the plant quarantine act 
of 1912. 



30 COBURN'S MANUAL 

Referee Board of Consulting Scientific Experts. — Drs. Ira Rem- 
sen, Johns Hopkins University ; R. H. Chittenden, Yale University ; 
John H. Long, Northwestern University Medical School; Alonzo 
E. Taylor, University of Pennsylvania, and Theobald Smith, Har- 
vard University. 

Created to consider questions arising in the enforcement of the 
food and drugs act of 1906, referred to it by the Secretary of Agri- 
culture. 

Board of Awards. — R. M. Reese {Chief Clerk) ; C. C. Carroll 
(Bureau of Animal Industry), and F. E. Meloy {Bureau of Plant 
Industry), 

Opens, examines, and reports upon informal bids and proposals 

for furnishing supplies and rendering services. 

Committee on Editing of the Journal of Agricultural Research. 
— Karl F. Kellerman, E. W. Allen, and Charles L. Marlatt. 

Committee on Manuscripts. — William A. Taylor, Milton Whitney, 
and Jas. A. Arnold. 

Passes upon manuscripts submitted for publication by the de- 
partment, reporting to the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture. 



Permanent Field Stations and Experimental Farms 

Mount Weather Meteorological Research Observatory, Mount 
Weather, Va. — Wm. R. Blair, in cliarge. 

Horse-Breeding District Farms. — ^First (Morgan Horse Farm), 
Middlebury, Vt., W. F. Hammond, in cliarge; second, Front Royal. 
Va., H. H. Reese, in charge; third, Lexington, Ky., R. G. Lawton, 
in charge; Colorado Horse-Breeding Station, Fort Collins, W. P. 
Little, in charge; Experiment Farm, Beltsville, Md., E. L. Shaw, 
in charge. 

Forest Service Districts and District Foresters. — 1. Idaho, Mon- 
tana, North and South Dakota; F. A. Silcox, Missoula, Mont. 2. 
Colorado, Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Minnesota, and Michi- 
gan; Smith Riley, Denver, Colo. 3. Arizona, New Mexico, and 
Oklahoma ; A. C. Ringland, Albuquerque, N. M. 4. Utah, Arizona, 
Nevada, Idaho, and Wyoming; E. A. Sherman, Ogden, Utah. 5. 
California and Nevada; Coert Du Bois, San Francisco, Cal. 6. 
Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska; George H. Cecil, 
Portland, Ore. 7. Arkansas and Florida; H. 0. Stabler, Wash- 
ington, D. C. 

Arlington Experimental Farm, Arlington, Va., E. C. Butterfield, 
in charge. 

Plant Introduction Field Stations. — Chico, Calif., R. L. Beagles, 
in charge; Miami, Fla., Edward Simmons, in charge; Bellingham 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 31 

Wash., H. E. Juenemann, in charge; Rockville, Md., John M. 
Rankin, in charge; Brooksville, Fla., W. H. P. Gomme, in charge; 
Buena Vista, Fla., ■ , in charge. 



Officials of the Department of the Interior Having to Do 
with Agriculture 

Secretary, Franklin K. Lane. 

Commissioner of the Public Land Office, Clay Tallman. 

Director of the Geological Survey, George Otis Smith. 

Reclamation Service : Director, Frederick H, Newell. Statisti- 
cian, C. J. Blanchard. Division Supervising Engineers: F. W. Hanna, 
Phcenix, Ariz.; E. G. Hopson, Portland, Ore.; H. N. Savage, Great 
Falls, Mont.; R. F. Walter, Denver, Colo.; F. E. Weymouth, Boise, 
Ida. ; C. H. Swigart, North Yakima, Wash. 

WHAT rural life MEANS 

Of additional interest in this connection are the following ex- 
tracts taken from an address on "What the Government Is Doing 
for the Farmer," made at the 1914 National Dairy Show by Secre- 
tary of Agriculture Houston: 

"Up to the last two or three years, unquestionably attention was 
directed too exclusively merely to the production side of rural life. 
The slogan was 'make tAvo blades of grass grow where only one grew 
before' and individualism characterized thinking and acting. Ob- 
viously, there is more to rural life than the mere increase of crops 
and animals, important as this is; more even than increase in pro- 
duction and the finding of markets; more than a matter of profits 
and even of justice in distribution; and to limit the attack on the 
rural life problem merely to these phases of it is inadequate and 
wasteful. It is necessary to look at this side of our national economy 
in its larger aspects as well, and while not neglecting the older 
forms of activity to do all in our power to organize rural life, to 
develop the moral, the intellectual, and the broader economic, gov- 
ernmental, and social interests. For, in the rural district, no less 
than in the urban district, it is life and that more abundantly which 
we are interested in, and to which all the material things must 
minister, and certainly the time has come to bring it about that all 
the fruits of modern civilization shall not accrue to the towns and 
cities. The neglect of rural life by the nation has not been conscious 
or willful. We have been so bent on building up great industrial 
centers, in rivaling nations of the world not so fortunately circum- 
stanced agriculturally, in manufacturing, fostering it by every 
natural and artificial device we could think of — so busy trying to 
make each city larger by a half million or more people for the next 



32 COBURN'S MANUAL 

census, that we have overlooked the very foundations of our indus- 
trial existence. It has been assumed that we have had a natural 
monopoly in agriculture, that it could take care of itself, and for the 
most part we have cheerfully left it to do so; and, too, recklessness 
and waste have been incident to our breathless conquest of a con- 
tinent. And so, as the President recently said: 'It has, singularly 
enough, come to pass that we have allowed the industry of our farms 
to lag behind the other activities of the country in its development. 
. . . Our thoughts may ordinarily be concentrated upon the cities 
and the hives of industry, upon the cries of the crowded market 
place and the clangor of the factory, but it is from the quiet inter- 
spaces of the open valleys and the free hillsides that we draw the 
sources of life and of prosperity, from the farm and the ranch, 
from the forest and mine. Without these every street would be 
silent, every office deserted, every factory fallen into disrepair. 

"We rejoice over the prosperity and the progress of American 
agriculture, which on the whole are marked. We witness a vast 
expenditure of money to foster agriculture through all sorts of scien- 
tific and practical measures on the part of the States and of the 
Federal Government. We are grateful for the fact that while the lead- 
ing civilized nations of the world are in the throes of a deadly and 
destructive war, this nation is at peace and the American farmer is 
receiving increasing compensation for his effort and is permitted to 
enjoy his work and the fruits of it free from the burden of militarism, 
and without threat of wholesale destruction of life and of property. 
No thoughtful man can fail to be optimistic over the situation and 
the prospects, but optimism should not blind us to the seriousness 
of certain problems. 

THE AMERICAN FARMER AND HIS EFFICIENCY 

"With all our efforts, while we witness an increasing diversifica- 
tion of agriculture and both a relative and absolute increase in many 
of our important lines of production, such as wheat, forage crops, 
fruits, dairy products, and poultry, we still note not only a relative 
but also an absolute decrease in a number of our important staple 
food products, such as corn and meats. In the former, in the last 
15 years, there has been no substantial advance. In cattle, sheep, and 
hogs, there has been an absolute decline — in cattle from the census 
year 1899-1909 of from 50 million head to 41 million; in sheep of 
from 61 million to 52 million ; of hogs from 63 million to 58 million, 
while population has increased 16 million. Remember that this 
situation appears not in a crowded country, but in one which is still 
in a measure being pioneered ; in one in which, with 935 million acres 
of arable land, not over 400 million or 45 per cent, is under cultiva- 
tion ; in one in which the population per square mile does not exceed 
31 and ranges from .7 of one per cent, in Nevada to 508 in Rhode 
Island. What is the trouble? Is it that the American farmer has 
not as much intelligence or as high a degree of efficiency as those 
of other nations? I would resent on behalf of the American farmer 
such an imputation and the facts contradict it. It is true he does 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 33 

not produce as much per acre as the farmer in a number of civilized 
nations — but production per acre is not our standard. It is pro- 
duction per person engaged in agriculture and by this test he is 
from two to six times as efficient as most of his competitors. And 
I have not the slightest doubt that the ensuing years will make it 
clearer that the American farmers can hold their own in free com- 
petition with those of the rest of the world and not only retain in 
large measure a monopoly of his own rapidly growing home market 
but also supply a considerable part of the foodstuffs consumed by 
the world. Kelatively speaking, extensive farming is still economically 
the sound programme for the American farmer, but it is becoming 
decreasingly so; and the aim must be, while maintaining supremacy 
in production per man, to assert supremacy in production per acre. 
The continued solution of the problem here suggested is one which 
now seriously engages the attention of the Federal Government as 
well as the governments of the States. 

THE GOVERNMENT AND INCREASED PRODUCTION 

** Through every promising approach the Government is study- 
ing and attacking the problem of increasing production. Through 
cultural methods and the control of plant diseases and plant insects 
the experts in Plant Industry are lending their assistance. They 
are suggesting improved varieties of staple crops, introducing new 
ones, encouraging standardization and pointing out methods of pro- 
tection from plant diseases and plant insects ; and the requisite quaran- 
tine measures are being enforced. They have introduced drought- 
resisting plants, vastly stimulated the citrus fruit industry, estab- 
lished rice in California, cotton in Arizona, pointed the way to the 
continued successful growing of cotton in boll weevil districts, in- 
troduced the culture of figs in California, protected the farmer 
against seed adulteration, taken effective steps to safeguard the 
great potato industry of the nation, and have done many other things 
the mere mention of Avhich time will not permit. 

* ' Just what factors have brought about the serious situation con- 
fronting the nation in its meat supply no one can with certainty 
define. . . . Certain things, however, are now clear and definite 
measures for increasing the meat supply are being taken and can be 
taken with certainty. It is clear that we have been considering 
the meat supply of the nation too exclusively in terms of the big 
ranch and of the large animals. Obviously it is important that we 
should continue to help the cattleman and to develop the ranch, and 
no pains will be spared to do this. The Government is now spending 
money to develop the live stock industry in connection with the 
reclamation projects, and the Department is asking for more. It is 
attacking the problem of overstocking and overgrazing on the range 
and in the national forests which furnish pasture for over one mil- 
lion six hundred thousand cattle and horses, and over seven million 
six hundred thousand sheep and goats. It is demonstrating that 
under systematic management the grazing value of land can be 
restored and increased and can produce heavier animals even with 



34 COBURN'S MANUAL 

an increased number, and that under proper management the range 
can be improved faster in use than in idleness. 

HOW TO PRODUCE MORE MEAT 

"But unquestionably the largest hope for a considerable increase 
in our meat supply lies in three other directions : First, in systematic 
attention to the production of larger animals in the settled farming 
areas of the country, especially in the South. Second, in increasing 
attention to the smaller animals, such as swine and poultry, and 
third, in the control and eradication of cattle ticks and hog cholera. 

"There is no question that the average farmer in the settled 
areas of the nation generally can produce a greater number of the 
larger animals, principally as by-products, to the betterment of his 
farm economy, and without great increase in expense, and that the 
farmer in the South in this respect enjoys unusual opportunities. 
And it is further apparent that the farmers everywhere in the exist- 
ing state of knowledge can largely increase the supply of swine and 
poultry products which constitute a large and increasing part of the 
consumption of the average family, the annual value of the latter 
alone aggregating half a billion dollars, or 50 per cent, of the 
aggregate value of the cotton produced in the nation. The last census 
shows a lamentable neglect of live stock in the South. While the 
average Iowa farm has six milch cows, in North Carolina and Ala- 
bama it has less than two, and in South Carolina one. While the 
average Iowa farm has 35 hogs, in North Carolina and Alabama it 
has less than 5, South Carolina less than 4. And while the 
average farm in Iowa has more than 108 poultry, in North Carolina 
and Alabama it has less than 20, and in South Carolina less than 17. 
A wTll-trained investigator has recently said that the average farm 
home in Georgia produces less than 2 eggs a week, less than 2/3 
of an ounce of butter, and 2/3 of a pint of milk a day, and 1/3 of 
a hog, 1/12 of a beef, and 1/100 of a sheep per year per person, and 
that the cotton crop of the State does not even approximately pay 
its food and feed bill. No Southern State is giving the requisite 
attention either to the production of foodstuffs for human beings 
or for live stock. A conservative estimate indicates that Texas im- 
ports from other States annually more than $50,000,000 worth of 
w^heat, corn, and oats; Georgia more than $24,000,000; South Caro- 
lina more than $20,000,000; and 12 Southern States more than 
$175,000,000 and $48,000,000 worth of meats, dairy, and poultry 
products. It may be admitted that most of these States should not 
undertake the production of these commodities for foreign or inter- 
state shipment in competition with the great States of the Middle 
West, but every student must recognize the unwisdom of their failure 
to produce enough of these things for the consumption of their 
people and for the laying of the foundation of a prosperous live 
stock development. 

"Too exclusive devotion to a single crop anywhere is unwise in 
normal times, and is a peril in times of disturbance. It is bound 
to produce just such a catastrophe as has befallen the South in the 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 35 

present emergency. It prevents the full utilization of land and labor, 
fails to fill the gaps in the work schedules, and furnishes no reserve. 

ERADICATING LIVE STOCK DISEASES 

"But an easier and more definite programme for a large increase 
in the meat supply involves the eradication of the cattle tick, of tuber- 
culosis, and of hog cholera. The Federal Department of Agriculture 
inspects meats passing into interstate commerce. In one year it 
condemned three hundred thousand entire carcasses of animals and 
five hundred and sixty thousand parts of carcasses. Of fifty-seven 
million animals inspected in 1914, five hundred and thirty-three thou- 
sand were found to be infected with tuberculosis. This disease is 
increasing. It is estimated that hog cholera caused a loss in 1913 of 
over six million hogs valued at more than sixty millions of dollars, 
and that the cattle tick causes an annual loss of from forty to one 
hundred or more millions of dollars and prevents the proper de- 
velopment of the live stock industry in the infected area. The Gov- 
ernment is vitally interested in the control and eradication of these 
diseases, and for the current year appropriated more than a million 
and a half dollars for this service and for the development of the 
dairy industry and animal feeding and breeding, to say nothing of 
the large item for meat inspection. The most significant new piece 
of legislation was the appropriation of a half million dollars for hog 
cholera, which is being used for experimental and other demonstra- 
tions in the control of this disease and for the inspection of serum 
and the protection of the farmer against impotent products. The 
work of tick eradication is continued. It has resulted in the clearing 
up and freeing of 223,000 square miles, an area exceeding that of 
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi combined, or as great 
as that of Germany or France. At the same rate, with intelligent 
cooperation, the remaining area, double that of Texas, or that of 
Germany and France combined, will be free within fifteen years. 

"Every effective thing that may be done to stimulate the live 
stock interests in general will, of necessity, react favorably upon the 
great industry, the dairy industry, in which you are immediately 
and specially concerned. The importance of this great interest the 
Government fully appreciates, involving as it does the handling of 
twentj^'-one millions of cows, an annual product of approximately six 
hundred millions of dollars in value, more than half a billion pounds 
of butter, half a billion pounds of condensed milk, and a third of a 
billion pounds of cheese. It is needless for me to tell you that dairy- 
ing has made marked advance in recent years, but there is much to be 
done, and the Government is making every effort to assist. It is 
studying how to reduce cost and to eliminate waste, to develop in 
those concerned careful business habits, the keeping of exact records 
and the definite knowledge each day of how their business stands. 
It is urging the grading of all dairy products, the elimination of 
waste in milk delivery, the organization of the milk supply, the ex- 
tension of cooperation in buying and selling, and the extermination 
of disease in cows, especially of tuberculosis. Along these lines lies 



36 COBURN'S MANUAL 

the hope of development and profit both to the producer and con- 
sumer. 

A NEW ERA IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 

' ' Within the year Congress has enacted a measure of even vaster 
significance and greater consequence. I refer to the Smith-Lever 
Extension Bill, which, in my judgment, is one of the most significant 
educational measures ever adopted by any government. It recognizes 
a new class of pupils — a class composed of men and women working 
at their daily tasks on the farm. The Government takes the adult 
farmer and farm woman, as well as the farm boy and girl, as its 
pupils. It provides for an expenditure of over eight millions of 
dollars, partly by the States. It incorporates the most efficient 
method of conveying information to the farmer, and through the 
healthful process of cooperation between the State and the nation 
places the brains of these two great agencies at his disposal, insures 
efficiency, and eliminates waste and friction. I yield to no man my 
appreciation of the value of scientific investigation and research, but 
I am convinced that the great task confronting us now for the bet- 
terment of agriculture is to bring to the average farmer what the 
experts and the best farmers know and to induce them to apply it. 
If we could secure this we should revolutionize agriculture ; and this 
is the object of the Smith-Lever Bill. It aims to reach the farmer 
by personal contact, and above all, to bring assistance to the farm 
woman who has been too long neglected as a factor in the agricultural 
life of the nation. 

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION 

**But vital as are these problems of production, even more urgent 
are the problems of marketing and distribution. It has become clear 
to students of agriculture that further production in many directions 
waits on better distribution, and that in this field fundamental prob- 
lems of justice and injustice are involved which demand solution. 
The time has come to conceive agriculture in all its relations, to 
conceive it as a unit and not to attend to merely one or a few of its 
phases. The Government has been quick to see these things. Urgent 
problems have been pressing upon it for solution, problems of mar- 
keting, of distribution, of good roads, of rural finance, and of rural 
sanitation and health, and the Department of Agriculture has rapidly 
tended to become, as it should, a great Department of rural economics 
and of rural life. The Congress now sitting has appropriated two 
hundred thousand dollars for the study of marketing, passed the Cot- 
ton Futures Act, made increased provision for the investigation and 
promotion of good roads, and has pushed nearly to the point of com- 
pletion measures for the standardization of grain and for the super- 
vision of its sale in interstate commerce, for the standardization of 
cotton and for a permissive warehouse system for the leading staple 
crops. The Office of Markets, although only recently created and 
necessarily requiring time for the consideration of its projects and 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 37 

especially for the securing of an efficient staff of experts, has con- 
ducted investigations in a great variety of directions, furnished much 
information to those seeking it ; and it will at no distant day extend 
aid through bulletins and as rapidly as possible through demonstra- 
tion. It is investigating the proper methods of grading and standard- 
ization, packing and shipping, the marketing of special products, 
transportation and storage problems, city marketing and distribution, 
including farmers' municipal wholesale and retail market houses, 
the direct dealings between producers and consumers, and cooperative 
production and handling of products. It is giving special attention 
to such details as dockage in the sale of grains, and to the methods 
and practices of large terminal markets in the practice of mixing. 
It would unduly detain you if I were to attempt even to outline 
the other great measures to which I have made reference, such as 
the Grain and Cotton Standards Acts, the Cotton Futures, and the 
Warehouse Bills. I shall have to dismiss these measures with the 
intimation that their object is to do justice as between producer and 
consumer, to guarantee that the producer shall get a just price for the 
specific product which he offers for sale, and to the consumer that 
he shall get the specific product for which he pays his price, that 
normal and orderly processes shall prevail in the distribution of 
farm products, and that there shall be added incentive to the farmer 
to increase in the fullest measure not only the quantity but the quality 
of his product. 

GOOD ROADS 

"Intimately involved in both the production and distribution 
of products is the matter of good roads. Good roads are prerequisite 
not only to economical production and distribution but also to the 
furtherance of the educational, social; and sanitary life of the farm- 
ing districts. The great need is for roads which shall get products 
from the farm to the nearest railway station and enable the farmer 
to haul when he cannot be busy about his sowing and reaping, and 
to haul at a lower rate. The railway will continue for an indefinite 
time to be the national highway. The emphasis is needed on the 
community road. It is estimated that it costs twenty-three cents per 
ton mile to haul under existing conditions on the country road, 
and that this could be reduced by half if the roads were improved. 
The question is one partly, of course, of means or of funds, but 
even more largely of methods, of instrumentalities, and of adminis- 
tration. The nation to-day is spending annually the equivalent of 
more than two hundred millions of dollars for roads, an enormous 
increase in the last decade. Much of this is directed by local super- 
visors and it is estimated by experts that of the amount so directed 
anyAvhere from thirty to forty per cent, is, relatively speaking, 
wasted or misdirected. The first requisite, therefore, is for efficient 
expenditure and administration, and so far as the Federal Govern- 
ment is concerned, to project it into the situation so as to safeguard 
the expenditure and to perfect the administration. The Office of 
Public Roads is at present doing everything in its power to promote 
the economical building of good roads, and especially to assist in 



38 COBURN'S MANUAL 

the development of proper administration. The difficulties are pre- 
sented mainly in the sphere of State and local administration. Less 
than half the States at present have an expert highway commis- 
sion, and none have expert county commissioners. If direct federal 
aid is to be extended it should be done only under such conditions as 
will guarantee a dollar's result for every dollar of expenditure. It 
is clearly undesirable to discourage State and local initiative. Co- 
operation between the State and the Federal Government is requisite. 
The State should be the lowest unit with which the federal agency 
should deal, and the representative in every State should be an 
expert highway commission. An automatic check to assaults on the 
federal treasury should be provided, and the requirement that each 
State makes available at least twice as much as is appropriated by 
the Federal Government should be imposed. If there were the fur- 
ther provision that the federal funds should be limited to construc- 
tion projects, and that before federal money is made available for 
any projects, those projects shall have been mutually agreed upon 
by the federal agency and the State Highway Commission, with 
clear understanding as to methods of construction, specifications, 
materials, and the development of a State system, great benefits 
might result and dangers would be reduced to a minimum. This 
same principle of cooperation is embodied in the Smith-Lever Ex- 
tension Bill ; and, in my own opinion, in intelligent cooperation of this 
sort many of the problems which are presented by our dual form of 
government will find solution. 

" . . . The Government recognizes as well the broader aspects 
of rural life. It knows that the genius for organization which has 
done so much for industry in the nation can be brought to prevail in 
the sphere of rural life and of agriculture. Extreme individualism 
in agriculture has had its day. There can be no question that the 
key to the solution of many of the problems of rural life will be 
found in some form of concerted action or of cooperation. Some 
form of organization is as inevitable as it is desirable. Without it 
the farmer cannot have adequate schools or social life; without it he 
cannot secure good roads; standarize his products or economically 
market them; without it he cannot have the proper health facilities 
or lay the credit foundations which will enable him to secure capital 
at more reasonable rates. The Congress has recently given concrete 
expression of its appreciation of these phases of rural life by placing 
at the disposal of the Department of Agriculture the fund for the 
study of cooperation, and not only as it affects marketing, but also 
as it affects other phases of rural activities and especially as it affects 
rural credits. In addition to recognizing, as the President expresses 
it, that the farmer 'is the servant of the seasons,' and that, there- 
fore, not as a matter of discrimination, but as a matter of equal 
justice, peculiar consideration should be had for his circumstances 
and of his credit needs, by providing in the Federal Reserve Act 
for a longer period of maturity for farmers' loans and for loans on 
farm mortgages by national banks within certain limits. Congress 
has spent many weeks maturing a measure for the creation of land 
mortgage banks and the Department of Agriculture has made a 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 39 

special study of cooperative credit associations for the small farmer. 
There is every reason to hope that in the near future valuable and 
helpful action will be taken in these two directions, 

"Nothing short of a successful attempt to secure these larger 
results in the rural life of the nation, to organize it, to make it 
profitable, healthful, comfortable, and attractive, can satisfy any 
thoughtful and patriotic man. It is the only sure way of developing 
and retaining in the rural districts of the nation an adequate number 
of efficient and contented people. That the thought and action of 
the nation must be along these lines is made clear by the facts I have 
recited and by the further fact that while the population of the 
nation in the last 15 years has increased 23 millions, the strictly 
rural districts have shown an increase of less than 6 millions. We 
cannot neglect the higher things to which the material minister and 
which if secured would render much of our other effort unnecessary. 
The greatest undeveloped resource of any community is its people, 
and if we devoted more attention to the conservation and develop- 
ment of the people we should be relieved of much of our concern 
for the conservation and development of our natural resources. An 
awakening of the mental and spiritual faculties is prerequisite to the 
success of any educational enterprise, and therefore along with our 
attempts directly to increase the production of material things, we 
must minister to the minds and spirits of the rural population. In 
short, we must see to it that the finer results and the higher things 
of civilization are not the peculiar possession of urban peoples, — 
that they do not pass by or over our struggling rural masses. "We 
must see to it that there is within reach of every country boy and 
girl an opportunity for a sound elementary and secondary school 
training, that the rural family be protected in its health against 
the ravages of insects and of disease ; that the load be lifted in some 
measure from the struggling women of the farm, and that the whole- 
some social attractions of life be made more freely to abound. Any 
expenditure of effort or money in this direction will not be a burden 
but an investment, and with such protection the farmers of this 
nation need not fear the competition of the world and the nation need 
not fear for its permanency. ' ' 

As this address was made just before the outbreak of foot-and- 
mouth disease in the closing months of 1914, the Secretary had no 
occasion to refer to it. Such an occurrence might, however, be 
used, and also the history of previous outbreaks, to show the part 
the National Department of Agriculture plays in such situations and 
the promptness, energy, and success with which its forces attack the 
many difficult problems they are called upon to solve. (For a com- 
prehensive review of this, and previous outbreaks of this disease and 
a discussion of the malady itself, its prevention, and its extermination, 
see the special insert at the end of Vol. III.) 

STATE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 

The methods employed by the State Governments in assisting the 
farmers and promoting the agriculture of their respective common- 



40 COBURN'S MANUAL 

wealths differ considerably. In some cases, as New York, Pennsyl- 
vania, and Virginia, there is a complete department headed by a com- 
missioner, and including such officials as veterinarian, pomologist, and 
plant pathologist. In such cases the commissioner has considerable 
legal authority in such matters as imposing quarantines for animal 
diseases, prosecuting violations of dairy, nursery, seed, and similar 
laws. 

Another sort of State organization is the State Board, which 
frequently, as in the case of Massachusetts, Ohio, Missouri, and others, 
is almost identical in form with the Department just referred to, the 
Secretary being usually the executive and most important officer; 
but it may also be merely a body created to manage an annual State 
Fair, or at most, a sort of publicity committee, which arranges and 
publishes statistics as to the agriculture of its State, calls attention to 
its opportunities and interests, and assists farm seekers in settling 
there. 

In several instances the Commissioner of Agriculture is also head 
of other departments or bureaus, as those of Immigration, Labor, 
Mines, and Statistics. Finally there are a few States in which no 
definite step in any of these directions has yet been taken and in 
which the control of all agricultural interests rests with the State 
Experiment Station and its Board of Control. 

The publications of the State Departments, if any, consist of 
biennial, annual, quarterly, monthly, or more frequent reports, in- 
cluding analyses of fertilizers, seeds, and stock foods offered for sale 
in the State, reprints of agricultural legislation, reports of Farmers' 
Institutes, State Agricultural, Live Stock, Dairy, and Poultry Asso- 
ciations, etc., lists of farms offered for sale, descriptions of the State 
and its resources, and bulletins dealing with practical farm matters, in 
many instances extremely valuable to the farmer. Since it is impos- 
sible for us to list all the recent publications of this kind it must be left 
to the individual farmer to address a request for available material to 
the Department of Agriculture of his State at its capital. In which- 
ever of the several forms mentioned above the organization may exist, 
such a communication will eventually reach the right official and, in 
all probability, bring forth generous response. 

The usefulnesss and efficiency of the State Departments is fre- 
quently overlooked until such an emergency as the outbreak of foot- 
and-mouth disease brings them into prominence. It behooves the 
farmer to remember that in the event of any peculiar or particularly 
destructive disease of stock or crops or trees appearing on his farm, 
his State authorities are invariably ready to advise and assist. Not 
only is it to his advantage to accept this assistance, but it is his duty 
to seek it lest delay and doubt aid in establishing or disseminating 
some new and serious pest. 

STATE COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT STATIONS 

The advent and development of the Agricultural College and the 
often closely associated Experiment Station have marked wonderfully 
important steps in the growth of educational methods. (See Vol. 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 41 

VII, pp. 383-388.) Nor, as Secretary Houston suggests in referring 
to the Smith-Lever Bill, has this development yet reached its summit. 
New means are continually being found or devised for ascertaining 
agricultural truths and for carrying and explaining them to, and 
impressing them upon, the practical farmer. Demonstration farms, 
and county agents, farmers' special trains. Farmers' Week gather- 
ings, extension work in all its branches, bulletins, circulars, reading 
courses, and short winter courses for farmers of all ages and their 
wives and daughters, are laying before the man and his family on 
the farm the invaluable results of years of study and investigation 
and the expenditure of millions of dollars. 

No progressive agriculturist should neglect having his name 
placed upon the mailing lists of his college and experiment station; 
nor should he neglect any opportunity to meet and become well ac- 
quainted with their staffs. He need feel no diffidence about accepting 
the assistance they have to offer ; indeed he can well repay it by work- 
ing hand in hand with the institutions of study and research, in 
practicing the methods that they have proven best, in destroying the 
blind ignorance and stubborn conservatism that justly make farming 
an unpopular occupation. ''Every farm a laboratory, a classroom, 
and a demonstration of better farming" should be the aim of our 
farmers, and it can be through the study and application of princi- 
ples such as those so fully discussed in the Farmers' Cyclopedia. 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE IN ALL THE STATES 

ALABAMA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Montgomery. 

Polytechnic Institute, C. C. Thach, President. ) Auburn 

Experiment Station, J. F. Duggar, Director. ) 

Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes, W. S. 

Buchanan, President, Normal. 
Tuskegee Institute for Negroes. 

Agricultural School, B. T. Washington, Principal. ) T.Kii-^nco 
Experiment Station, G. W. Carver, Director. f usaegee. 

ARIZONA 

University of Arizona, A. H. Wilde, President. [ m„,f,^f,^ 
Experiment Station, R. H. Forbes, Director. J * 

ARKANSAS 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Little Bock. 

University of Arkansas ; College of Agriculture and Experiment 
Station, Martin Nelson, Dean and Director, Fayetteville. 

CALIFORNIA 

State Board of Agriculture, Sacramento. 

University of California ; College of Agriculture and Experiment 
Station, T. F. Hunt, Dean and Director, Berkeley. 

COLORADO 

Agricultural College, C. A. Lory, President. ) p. rnJJ,-^^ 
Experiment Station, C. P. Gillette, Director. T^^^ mourns. 



42 COBURN'S MANUAL 

CONNECTICUT 

State Board of Agriculture, Secretaiy, Nortli Woodstock. 
Agricultural College, C. L. Beach, President. ) gtorrs 
Experiment Station, E. A. Jenkins, Director, j 
Experiment Station, E. H. Jenkins, Director, New Haven. 

DELAWARE 

State Board of Agriculture, Dover. 

State College and Experiment Station, Harry Hayward, Dean 

and Director, Newark. 
State College for Colored Students, W. C. Jason, President, 

Dover. 

FLORIDA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Tallaliassee. 

University of Florida; College of Agriculture, J. J. Vernon, 
Dean, Experiment Station, P. H. Rolfs, Director, Gainesville. 

A. and M. College for Negroes, U. B. Young, President, Talla- 
hassee. 

GEORGIA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Atlanta. 
College of Agriculture, A. M. Soule, President, Athens. 
Experiment Station, R. J. H. DeLoach, Director, Experiment. 
University of Georgia; Industrial College for Colored Youths, 
P. R. Wright, President, Savannah. 

IDAHO 

University of Idaho; College of Agriculture, E. J. Iddings, Vice- 
Dean. Experiment Station, J. S. Jones, Vice-Director, 
Moscow. 

ILLINOIS 

University of Illinois; College of Agriculture and Experiment 
Station, Eugene Davenport, Dean and Director, Urhana. 

INDIANA 

Purdue University ; School of Agriculture, J. H. Skinner, Dean. 
Experiment Station, Arthur Goss, Director, Lafayette. 

IOWA 

State Department of Agriculture, Des Moiries. 

College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, R, A. Pearson, 

President, Ames. 
Experiment Station, C. F. Curtiss, Dean and Director, Ames. 

KANSAS 

State Board of Agriculture, Topeka. 

Agricultural College, Henry J. Waters, President. ) Maw- 

Experiment Station, W. M. Jardine, Dean and Director. ) hattan. 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 43 

KENTUCKY 

State University; College of Agriculture and Experiment Sta- 
tion, J. H. Kastle, Dean and Director, Lexington. 

Normal and Industrial Institute for Colored Persons, G. P. 
Russell, President, Frankfort. 

LOUISIANA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Baton Rouge. 

Louisiana State University; A. and M. College and Experiment 
Station, W. R. Dodson, Dean and Director, Baton Rouge. 

Southern University and A. and M. College, J. S. Clark, Presi- 
dent, Baton Rouge. 

MAINE 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Augusta. 

University of Maine ; College of Agriculture, L. S. Merrill, Dean. 
Experiment Station, C. D. Woods, Director, Orono. 

MARYLAND 

State Board of Agriculture, College Park. 

Agricultural College and Experiment Station, H. J. Patterson, 
President and Director, College Park. 

Princess Anne Academy for Colored Persons, T. H. Kiah, Prin- 
cipal, Princess Anne. 

MASSACHUSETTS 

State Board of Agriculture, Boston. 

Agricultural College, K. L. Butterfield, President. ) Amlierst. 

Experiment Station, \V. P. Brooks, Director. f 

MICHIGAN 

Agricultural Society, Detroit. 

Agricultural College, J. L. Snyder, President. ) East 

Experiment Station, R. S. Shaw, Dean and Director. J Lansing. 

MINNESOTA 

University of Minnesota; College of Agriculture and Experi- 
ment Station, A. F. Woods, Dean and Director, St. Paul. 

MISSISSIPPI 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Jackson. 

Agricultural and Mechanical College, G. R. Hightower, Presi- 
dent. Experiment Station, E. R. Lloyd, Director, Agricul- 
tural College. 

(Other Stations, Stoneville, Holly Springs, and McNeill.) 

Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College, J. A. Martin, 
President, Alcorn. 

MISSOURI 

State Board of Agriculture, Columbia. 

University of Missouri; College of Agriculture and Experiment 
Station^ F. B. Mumford, Dean and Director, Columbia. 



44 COBURN'S MANUAL 

MONTANA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Helena. 

College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, J. M. Hamilton, 

President. Experiment Station, F. B. Linfield, Dean and 

Director, Bozeman. 

NEBRASKA 

University of Nebraska; College of Agriculture and Experiment 
Station, E. A. Burnett, Dean and Director, Lincoln. 

NEVADA 

University of Nevada; College of Agriculture, Robert Lewers, 
Acting President. Experiment Station, S. B. Doten, Director, 
Reno. 

NEW HAMPSHIRE 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Concord. 

College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, E. T. Fairchild, 

President. Experiment Station, J. C. Kendall, Director, 

Durham. 

NEW JERSEY 

State Board of Agriculture, Trenton. 

College for the Benefit of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, W. 

H. S. Demarest, President. State Experiment Station, J. G. 

Lipman, Director, New Brunswick. 
Rutgers Scientific School, Experiment Station, J. G. Lipman, 

Director, New Brunswick. 

NEW MEXICO 

College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, G. E. Ladd, Presi- 
dent. Experiment Station, Fabian Garcia, Director, State 
College. 

NEW YORK 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Albany. 

Cornell University ; College of Agriculture and Experiment Sta- 
tion, B. T. Galloway, Dean and Director, ItJiaca. 
Experiment Station, W. H. Jordan, Director, Geneva. 

NORTH CAROLINA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Raleigh. 

College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, D. H. Hill, Presi- 
dent, West Raleigh. 

Experiment Station, B. W. Kilgore, Director, Raleigh and West 
Raleigh. 

Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race, J. B. 
Dudley, President, Greensboro. 

NORTH DAKOTA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Bismarck. 

Agricultural College, J. H. Worst, President. ) Agricultural 

Experiment Station, T. P. Cooper, Director, j" College. 



HOW THE NATION AND STATES ARE HELPING 45 

OHIO 

Agricultural Commission, Columbus. 

Ohio State University; Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary 

Science, W. 0. Thompson, President; H. C. Price and D, S. 

White, Deans, Columbus. 
Experiment Station, C. E. Thorne, Director, Wooster. 

OKLAHOMA 

Board of Agriculture, Oklalioma City. 

Agricultural and Mechanical College, L, L. Lewis, Acting Presi- 
dent. Experiment Station, W. L. Carlyle, Director, Still- 
water. 

Agricultural and Normal University, I. E. Page, President, 
Langston. 

OREGON 

Agricultural College, W. J. Kerr, President. ) Cor- 

Experiment Station, A. B. Cordley, Dean and Director. \ vallis. 

PENNSYLVANIA 

State Board of Agriculture, Harrisburg. 

Pennsylvania State College; School of Agriculture, E. E. Sparks, 

President. Experiment Station, R. L. Watts, Dean and 

Director, State College. 

RHODE ISLAND 

Board of Agriculture, Providence. 

State College, Howard Edwards, President. ) j^ifiQgfQfi 

Experiment Station, B, L. Hartwell, Director, j 

SOUTH CAROLINA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Columbia. 

Clemson Agricultural College, W. M. Riggs, President. ) Clemson 
Experiment Station, J. N. Harper, Director. ) College. 

Colored Normal, Industrial, Agricultural, and Mechanical Col- 
lege, R. S. Wilkinson, President, Orangeburg. 

SOUTH DAKOTA 

College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, G. L. Brown, Act- 
ing President. Experiment Station, J. W. Wilson, Director, 
Brookings. 

TENNESSEE 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Nasliville. 

University of Tennessee; College of Agriculture, Brown Ayers, 

President. Experiment Station, H. A. Morgan, Director, 

Knoxville. 

TEXAS 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Austin. 

Agricultural and Mechanical College, Charles Puryear, President. 
Experiment Station, B. Youngblood, Director, College Station. 



46 COBURN'S MANUAL 

Normal and Industrial College, E. L. Blackshear, Principal, 
Prairie View. 

UTAH 

Agricultural College, J. A. Widtsoe, President. ) j^Qg^r^^^ 
Experiment Station, E. D. Ball, Director. \ 

VERMONT 

Commissioner of Agriculture, St. Alhans. 

University of Vermont; College of Agriculture, G. P. Benton, 

President. Experiment Station, J, L. Hills, Dean and 

Director, Burlington. 

VIRGINIA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, RicJimond. 

Agricultural and Mechanical College, J. 0. Eggleston, President. 

Experiment Station, L. W. Fletcher, Director, Blackshiirg. 
Truck Experiment Station, T. C. Johnson, Director, Norfolk. 
Normal and Agricultural Institute, C. K. Graham, Director, 

Hampton. 

WASHINGTON 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Olympia. 

State College, E. A. Bryan, President. ) Pullman. 

Experiment Station, I. D. Cardiff, Director, j 

WEST VIRGINIA 

Commissioner of Agriculture, Cliarleston. 

West Virginia University; College of Agriculture, T. E. Hodges, 
President. Experiment Station, Dean and Di- 
rector, Morgantown. 

Colored Institute, Byrd Prillerman, President, Institute. 

WISCONSIN 

State Board of Agriculture, Madison. 

University of Wisconsin ; College of Agriculture, C. R. Van Hise, 

President. Experiment Station, H. L. Russell, Dean and 

Director, Madison. 

WYOMING 

University of Wyoming ; College of Agriculture, C. A. Duniway, 
President. Experiment Station, H. G. Knight, Dean and 
Director, Laramie. 



CHAPTER V 
PRACTICAL READING FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 

THE SORT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT COUNTS 

' ' The knowledge we have never realized is not knowledge to us — 
only knowledge's shadow," says Charles Reade. Similarly, we may 
say that knowledge within reach, but which we are unable to grasp, is 
only knowledge 's ghost ; and that any source of knowledge is no better 
than a blank page so long as we are unable to draw forth that knowl- 
edge and assimilate it. As the cocoanut is valueless unless we are able 
to get at the meat, as ore becomes useful only when means are found 
for extracting its treasure, so the Farmers' Cyclopedia is most help- 
ful when the reader is fully able to glean in logical sequence the 
material that refers especially to his needs and conditions. 

It is for these reasons that this Manual and Guide has 
been prepared, and that, in this final chapter, we shall suggest definite 
systems or courses of reading for different types of farmer. Not that 
each individual will not find interest and benefit in many other sec- 
tions of the books than those mentioned; but as a groundwork for 
further reading the selections and sequences that follow will help 
to a decided saving of time and to increase of efficiency. 

§1. THE MAN WHO WANTS A FARM 

The very first thing for the man who ' ' has never farmed but wants 
to" to do is to make absolutely sure that his desire is sincere. It 
is not enough that he ' ' loves the outdoors, " or " takes a real interest 
in animals," or "has a wonderful knack of making things grow in 
the backyard garden." All these are desirable attributes in a 
farmer, but there are many other things he must be and do and 
realize. 

The one sure and essential test of his desire and fitness to be a 
farmer consists in doing actual farm work and living an actual farm 
life continuously for at least a year. Nor does this mean visiting at a 
friend 's country estate, or ' ' spending a vacation up at Uncle Henry 's ' ' 
or boarding for a season at some rural hotel. The thing for him to 
do is to get a job as a farm hand, take whatever wages his ability or 
previous experience warrant, and learn the details of the business 
from the bottom. They won't always be pleasant or clean or in 
accord with his plans and desires at that particular time; but they 
will teach him the farm point of view — which is an absolute essen- 
tial — and if, at the end of his period of apprenticeship, he still has a 
real hankering after farm life, he can pretty safely, and will, look 
about for ways to get started toward a farm of his own. 

47 



48 COBURN'S MANUAL 



SOME FACTS ABOUT FARMING 

This farm point of view will carry with it much enlightenment 
and probably the contradiction of numerous pet theories and supposi- 
tions. The practical farm student will learn, for instance, that suc- 
cessful farming means not merely fitting the ground, planting seed, 
harvesting the crop, and banking the profits ; but that the crop must 
be coaxed and encouraged, weeds, insects, and diseases must be com- 
bated, the crop harvested at just the right time {if the weather per- 
mits), a market found, the crop taken to it and sold, and then, before 
any profits are banked, or even counted, the many various expenses 
must be figured and covered, and wages, taxes, and interest paid. 
He will find that one hen may easily return $1.50 net profit per year, 
but that $1,500 clear from 1,000 hens is an entirely different matter ; 
that getting cream out of a separator is far more simple than getting 
milk out of a cow; that there's a long road of study and care be- 
tween the fruit trees just from the nursery and the fruit crop just 
from the trees. And finally he will learn that though he does not 
have to punch a timecard every eight hours under the watchful eye 
of a human boss, he has, nevertheless, to be "on the job" at all hours 
of the day and night, the servant of, not only his conscience and am- 
bition, but also the farm itself and its every animal and crop and 
Iniilding. 

These things he will learn, and many more, but if at heart he is 
a true farmer they will cause him not sorrow but joy; and the vast 
promise and reward of an honorable lifework shall be his. 

Meantime there are facts and principles to be learned, and here 
the Cyclopedia enters the field. The prospective farmer should know 
and appreciate the extent of his business in America (see Agricul- 
tural Statistics, Vol. VII, p. 165). He should study the field of 
Farming as a Business (Vol. VII, pp. 17-22), including the details 
of Farm Equipment (page 31), the Water Supply and Its Impor- 
tance (page 35), Farm Buildings (pages 100 and 131), and Their 
Surroundings (Vol. V, p. 469) and the Making of the Vegetable 
Garden (Vol. IV, p. 216), which should be an exceedingly important 
feature of every country home. 

Before leaving the more general considerations he should study 
also the external factors that affect the business and success of every 
farm. Such are the problems of Tenant Farming (Vol. VII, p. 253) 
and the relations between owner and renter, of special importance in 
that renting offers a desirable way for the beginner to get started; 
Cooperation (Vol. VII, p. 246), the Forests (Vol. V, p. 319), and 
their tremendous influence on soils, moisture, floods, etc. ; and Roads 
(Vol. VII, p. 153), which affect directly not only the financial condi- 
tion of individual farms, but the prosperity, the progress, and the 
civilization of entire communities. 

Next there are the types of farming around which the farmer may 
plan to develop his business. If well equipped as to experience and 
practical knowledge. Intensive Farming (Vol. VII, p. 184) is likely 
to bring him the greatest returns. Where rainfall is somewhat scant 
two methods offer themselves: Dry Farming (Vol. VII, p. 222) or 



PRACTICAL READING FOR FARMERS 49 

the conservation of every available bit of moisture, and Irrigation 
(Vol. VI, p. 276) or the supplementing of the natural supply by 
pumps, dams, canals, and other mechanical contrivances. The care 
of animals, especially a Dairy Herd (Vol. I, p. 138) may appeal to 
him; the principles of Fruit Growing (Vol. V, p. 17) may prove ir- 
resistibly attractive; or the possibilities offered by Poultry (Vol. I, 
p. 518). 

THE ELEMENTS OP FARMING 

Going still farther into detail, there are the elements or materials 
with which any sort of farming is carried on. Most essential, of 
course, is the Soil (Vol. VII, p. 306), although Fertilizers (Vol. VII, 
p. 388), by which the soil is modified and improved, are highly impor- 
tant. The maintenance of natural soil fertility can be accomplished 
largely by a judicious Rotation of Crops (Vol. VII, p. 201), while 
Methods of Cultivation (Vol. VII, p. 42) must be known whatever 
crop is to be raised. 

The many crops that offer themselves for various purposes — for 
sale, for stock-feeding, for plowing under, etc. — are too numerous 
to be listed here, and can be easily located by means of the index. 
However, after having gleaned from the foregoing references the 
principles of their growth, it is well to become familiar with the prin- 
ciples that have to do with their destruction, such as those of Insects 
and Their Effects (Vol. VI, p. 17) and Plant Diseases, Their Nature 
and Causes (Vol. VI, p. 425). Similarly the theories of dealing with 
them must be understood. (See Vol. VII, pp. 351 and 656.) 

Thus our *' going-to-be farmer" can learn many of the facts he 
must eventually know without having to depend wholly on costly 
experience. Later, as he decides what phases of farming he will 
specialize in, he will desire to follow the courses of reading hereafter 
suggested. 

§11. THE DAIRY FARMER 

The dairy farmer, like any other, should begin gradually. That 
is, he should start with a small number of cows, buildings as inexpen- 
sive as is compatible with sufficient shelter, and not too complicated 
cropping and feeding systems. He can then afford to experiment 
a little, develop his business according to the demands and oppor- 
tunities of his locality, and let experience design permanent buildings 
and equipment to give the maximum satisfaction. There should, how- 
ever, be no gradual beginning as regards the quality of the cattle. 
The better they are, from the very first, the greater the chances of 
the farm's success. 

PURE-BREDS VersUS GRADES 

Whether the cows shall be pure-breds or good grades cannot be 
settled offhand. A fine grade animal will give as much and as good 
milk as the average registered cow — sometimes even more — while for 



50 COBURN'S MANUAL 

all practical purposes of milk, cream, and butter production, a high- 
grade herd, continually "graded up" by the use of pure-bred bulls 
will be fully as satisfactory as a like number of pure-breds. How- 
ever, the registered animal costs no more to feed and keep than the 
grade; it is eligible to Advanced Registry tests and subsequent 
prestige, if successful; and its calves sell for several times as much 
as the veals or ordinary heifers from the grade herd. The only dan- 
ger is that the inexperienced breeder shall prove lacking in the skill 
requisite to manage and keep in condition the highly organized units 
of a pure-bred herd. It is like a high-power microscope in the hands 
of a boy; he is liable to damage it in learning how to care for it, 
unless he has gained experience with simple lenses, and coarser, 
cheaper instruments. But there is no question about the leader of 
the herd; the grade or "scrub" bull is an abomination and no 
farmer who keeps one can hope for maximum success. 

Whether or not the herd is pure-bred, it must exhibit to greater 
or less degree the characters of some one of the Standard Breeds (Vol. 
I, p. 119) ; which it shall be, must be decided by the farmer himself, 
depending upon his plans and preferences. 

All are fully described in Vol. I, and their characteristics should 
be well understood before a choice is made. 



THE DETAILS OF DAIRYING 

Having become acquainted with breeds, the dairyman should 
study the Formation and Management of a Dairy Herd (Vol. I, p. 
138) and Raising Calves (page 185), and also the problems of Feed- 
ing Dairy Cattle (pages 159, 164), in which connection the relation 
between Water and the Health of the Herd (Vol. II, p. 54) is impor- 
tant. Feeding brings us, of course, to crops suitable for the purpose, 
and the following references should be consulted before going farther : 



Cropping Systems for Dairy Farms 

Soiling Crops for Cows . 

Alfalfa for Cows 

Hay and Pasture Grasses . 

The Orchard as a Pasture 

Pea Vine Silage . 

Terms Used in Feeding Matters 

The Silo and Silage . 



Vol. VII, p. 219 
Vol. I, p. 153 
Vol. IV, p. 48 
Vol. IV, pp. 117, 121 
Vol. V, p. 38 
Vol. VII, p. 49 
Vol. VII, p. 251 
Vol. VII, p. 134 



Coming back to details of management, the value and method of 
Testing Cows (Vol. I, pp. 146, 233) should be given attention. 
Probably the most important aim of dairy experts and advisers 
to-day is the elimination of "robber" and "boarder" cows from the 
dairy herds. The Babcock Test, a pair of scales, and a few extra 
minutes spent in the dairy house every day for a month or two are 
the means whereby the unprofitable individuals can be discovered. 

Consideration of Hand versus Machine Milking is given in Vol. 
I, p. 149. A further logical step is to the construction of Dairy 
Barns (Vol. VII, p. 122), especially with reference to their Ventila- 



PRACTICAL READING FOR FARMERS 51 

tion (Vol. II, p. 57). Similarly the disposal of Dairy Sewage (Vol. 
II, p. 45) is important in maintaining health. 

Of course the dairyman must know the general principles of 
Cattle Diseases, Their Prevention and Cure (Vol. II, pp. 17-44), but 
he can hardly expect to read systematically the details of all the 
specific ailments described in Vol. II, pp. 68-474. It will be suffi- 
cient if he familiarizes himself with the arrangement of the material 
so that he can turn to the right place in an emergency. It might 
be well, however, to become familiar with the symptoms and first-aid 
treatments of the commoner troubles, such as Bloat (page 83), Milk 
Fever (page 192), Tuberculosis (page 240), and others. 

The other important group of factors in dairying has to do, 
of course, with the milk itself. These may well be taken up in the 
following order : 



Milk 

Buttermilk and Fermented Milks 
Milk and Its Products as Food 
Separators and Separating 
Butter Making .... 
Cheese Making .... 



Vol. I, p. 192 

Vol. I, p. 210 

Vol. VII, p. 560 

Vol. I, p. 227 

Vol. I, p. 239 

Vol. I, p. 255 



Approaching the subject from a rather wider angle, the matter 
of Certified Milk and Legal Regulations (Vol. I, p. 222) should be 
studied; while also from a somewhat social standpoint, as well as in 
the interests of better cattle. Cow Testing Associations (Vol. I, p. 217) 
are of much importance. 

Before closing the volumes the dairyman may care to go a step 
farther and survey the possibilities of the Milch Goats (Vol. I, p. 415) 
which, though they have not received very widespread attention, are 
nevertheless worthy of real consideration. 

§111. THE GENERAL STOCK-RAISER 

The efforts of the stock-raiser are aimed at one of two results, or a 
combination of both. These are (a) the maintenance of a herd or 
flock, its continual improvement by means of breeding and selection, 
and the sale of high-class animals for further breeding operations; 
and (b) the raising and fattening of as many animals as possible, 
having in mind only their ultimate consumption as meat. The 
latter industry may involve merely the purchase of young stock 
as "feeders," or the management of a parent or breeding herd and 
the care of the beef, pork, or mutton animals throughout the course 
of their existence ; in which case we have an illustration of the com- 
bination of the two types above mentioned. 

Our farmer may be, therefore, a scientific breeder or simply a 
feeder, skilled in the art of economically turning crops and feed stuffs 
into flesh and marketing the latter at a profit. Let no one under- 
estimate the ability needed to succeed in this, for it involves a knowl- 
edge of the physiology and, perhaps, even the psychology of the fat- 
tening stock, of the composition and effect of feeds, of the condi- 



52 COBURN'S MANUAL 

tions and tendencies of local, national, and even world markets. He 
is not bothered with problems of breeding, with the care of bulls, 
and milch cows (unless kept to supply food for the others), nor 
with registration matters. Nor is it essential that he keep his stock 
continually at such high pressure as is deemed essential by many 
breeders of pure-breds; for it is with high-class animals as with na- 
tions, they must either improve and progress, or inevitably go back- 
ward. 

Here again, as in the first choice of the type of farming to be 
followed, the system that is "best" will depend upon the preference, 
ability, bent, and training of the individual. Any one may prove 
profitable if pursued wisely, in a favorable environment; or, any 
system may fail, through lack of ability, judgment, care, or energy, 
or poor adaptation of the type to existing local conditions. 

The matters with which the stock-raiser should familiarize him- 
self by means of books — in this case the Farmers' Cyclopedia — are 
many, for while experience is invaluable, as already remarked, there 
are principles and theories that explain established practices and 
which are essential to success. 

HORSES AND THEIR CARE 

Since horses are somewhat distinct from other farm animals in 
not representing food value at any stage of their development, at 
least in America, they may well be considered separately. The first 
subject of importance to the prospective horse-breeder is the Oppor- 
tunities Offered by Horse-and-Mule Breeding (Vol. I, p. 78). Fol- 
lowing this the Breeds of Horses (page 17) should be studied, also 
the Market Requirements (page 29) and the Classes (page 34) based 
upon them. In this systematic study of the horse, Judging and the 
Score Card (page 89) are entitled to careful attention. Meanwhile 
it would be well to become thoroughly conversant with the various 
Terms (page 44) employed in discussing horses and horse-raising. 

Coming then to the actual horse management, Breeding (page 
22) and Feeding (pages 50, 63) are the most important topics, with 
the Care of Foals (page 59) an important detail. Here, too, the 
description of the Mule (page 68) and the discussion of his particular 
requirements are timely; after which the care of this group, under 
normal conditions, may be completed with a survey of the subject 
of Shoeing (page 102). Finally the principles of the care and treat- 
ment of the horse in relation to diseases and injuries should be 
learned (Vol. II, p. 17) and a less detailed study made of the many 
specific maladies, parasites, and injuries that may be encountered 
(covering pages 35-410) particularly such frequent troubles as 
Wounds (page 169), Lameness (pages 208, 212, 236, 239), Azoturia 
or "Monday-morning sickness" (page 197), and others more or less 
dangerous or vexatious. 

STOCK-FEEDING 

Leaving the field of the horse, there are a few subjects that will 
appeal to the breeder with equal force, no matter what type of 



PRACTICAL READING FOR FARMERS 



53 



animal he may be interested in. Of these the most extensive is the 
matter of Feeding. The principles upon, and the methods by, which 
Rations are Computed (Vol. I, p. 305) are the same, whether for 
cows or pigs or chickens. Similarly all Commercial Stock Foods 
(page 319) have some value for all sorts of stock, although each 
will prove most efficient and economical under certain, specific con- 
ditions. Other important miscellaneous feeding matters are found dis- 
cussed in several of the volumes as follows : 



The Peanut in Stock-Feeding 

Red Clover in Stock-Feeding 

Soy Beans in Stock-Feeding 

Millet in Stock-Feeding 

Cow Peas in Stock-Feeding 

Cow Pea Hay . 

Hay and Pasture Grasses 

Fodder Plants 

Hay as Stock-Food . 

Siloing Sugar Beets 

Beet Pulp 

Silage .... 

Utilizing Pea Vine Refuse 



Vol. IV, p. 632 
Vol. IV, pp. 66-67 
Vol. IV, p. 89 
Vol. IV, p. 114 
Vol. IV, p. 100 
Vol. IV, p. 203 
Vol. IV, p. 117 
Vol. IV, p. 132 
Vol. IV, p. 175 
Vol. V, p. 639 
Vol. V, p. 642 
Vol. VII, p. 140 
Vol. VII, p. 49 



All stock must have shelter as well as food, so the Barn (Vol. 
VII, p. 117) will be a subject of general interest, as will Fences 
(Vol. VII, p. 140), and likewise the Silo and its construction (pages 
134-140). 

Taking up other particular branches of the live stock industry, 
that of Beef-Raising next is treated in Vol. I. The first material 
deals, naturally, with the Breeds of beef cattle (page 263) and after 
this the reader might well learn the Grades of feeding cattle (page 
278) that markets and custom have created. Following this the 
practical discussions of Breeding (page 269) and Feeding (pages 
280, 315) for beef follow in order. 

It is not infrequently the case that in fattening steers their gain 
barely pays its cost, and the only actual profit is derived from hogs 
that follow the cattle in the fattening lots and make their growth on 
grain that is undigested or would otherwise be wasted. Thus the 
hog is an extremely important factor in the corn belt as elsewhere, 
and certainly he has earned the title of "mortgage lifter." The 
stockman needs therefore to make a careful study of the Breeds of 
Swine (Vol. I, p. 417) and learn how to Breed (page 425), Feed 
(page 442), and Care for them (page 497) so as to induce health, 
the greatest possible contentment, and resulting growth. Of recent 
years the practice of Pasturing (page 463) has gained much in 
appreciation as a means for economically producing swine (page 512). 

Sheep, too, are a highly profitable feature of general farms every- 
where — everywhere, that is, that worthless and uncontrolled dogs, 
always a curse, have not demoralized the sheep industry. Both wool 
and mutton Breeds are discussed in Vol. I, p. 355 and those that 
follow, and the corresponding Market Classification on pages 385-387. 



54 COBURN'S MANUAL 

The rather difficult art of judging sheep is carefully explained on 
page 399, after which the future — or present — shepherd should re- 
view the details of Management (pages 344-395), including breeding, 
feeding, and care under Range Conditions (page 366). The Sheep 
Barn is given special attention in Vol. VII, p. 121. Finally Goats, 
the somewhat less aristocratic cousins of the sheep, are discussed in 
Vol. I, pp. 413-415, with reference to milk and mohair production, 
and the clearing of brush-covered land, for which purpose they are 
unexcelled. 

The unpleasant but necessary subject of animal Diseases is, as 
has already been suggested, covered in Vols. II and III. The ail- 
ments of the horse have been referred to. Those of cattle cover pages 
17 to 472 of Vol. Ill, and deserve careful study, especially Tubercu- 
losis (page 240), Texas Fever (page 317), Foot and Mouth Disease 
(special supplement at end of volume) and the others that cause 
such widespread disaster and loss. The better known Poisonous 
Plants (Vol. IV, p. 565) are also a distinct cause of loss, especially on 
the Western ranges. Swine Diseases are treated in Vol. II, beginning 
with page 410. Tuberculosis (page 477) has caused great loss in 
the hog industry as well as that of cattle, but the dread Hog Cholera 
(page 446) has probably done even more harm. Possibly some at- 
tacks recognized as the latter have been due to the somewhat similar 
Swine Plague (page 476) ; however, the treatment is much the same 
in both cases. Parasites (page 513) are a further important enemy, 
especially when, as in the case of Trichina, the effects are passed on 
to human beings. For protection against such contingencies our 
systems of State and Federal Meat Inspection (page 547) have been 
developed. 

Sheep come in for their share of diseases, discussed in Vol. Ill, 
p. 475, together with the maladies that affect goats (page 629), 
whether of native or foreign origin (Malta Fever is an example of 
the latter). One last disease that may be said to attack all our 
domestic animals, but especially the dog, is Rabies, discussed in 
detail, beginning on page 644. 

§IV. THE POULTRYMAN 

The domestic fowl is a creature of paradoxes and of a great 
variety of possibilities. According to the census of 1910, the value 
of eggs and fowl produced in 1909 enriched the country by more than 
508 millions of dollars ; on the other hand, there is probably no more 
frequent failure than that of the mismanaged or poorly managed 
poultry business undertaken by an inexperienced novice as insuffi- 
ciently equipped with capital as with ability and knowledge. 

Returning again to the brighter aspect, no branch of farming is 
more adaptable to different sorts of conditions. The laborer, even the 
lowliest, with a bit of a back yard little larger than his kitchen, can 
keep a few hens at almost no cost and have the luxury of a fresh 
egg as good as the best a millionaire can buy. Or the farm wife 
may have her flock, perhaps including some ducks and a few turkeys, 
from which to obtain an occasional, welcome variation for the farm 



PRACTICAL READING FOR FARMERS 55 

menu, as well as a substantial bit of pin money. The general farmer 
can combine his poultry activities with fruit-growing, the disposal 
of vegetable waste-products and other phases of diversified agricul- 
ture. And finally the chicken specialist can develop a ''plant" car- 
rying a thousand or more layers, or a high-class show-stock-breed- 
ing proposition, serene in the knowledge that similar enterprises are 
paying every day, and paying well. 

Nevertheless, no matter how striking the tales of such success, it 
must not be forgotten that in poultry-raising, as in all other phases 
of farm business, success can only follow the application of intelli- 
gent, hard work, good judgment, experience, and conscientious study. 
The first two of these rest with the individual ; the latter, or at least 
its wherewithal, it is the task of the Farmers' Cyclopedia to supply. 
This it does in Vols. I and II, in a total of some 166 pages. The 
material can well be read in the order in which it is presented, except 
that the Principles of Keeping Poultry Healthy (Vol. II, p. 595) 
should be studied in connection with the Rules for Quality Egg 
Production (Vol. I, p. 624). Similarly it may be as well to read all 
that is said about the Housing (Vol. I, p. 585), Fattening (page 
584), and management of birds in general, and then the discussion 
of Parasites (Vol. II, p. 554) and Diseases (page 566) before taking 
up the description of particular breeds, and the specific details of 
the care of Capons (Vol. I, p. 620), Turkeys (page 596), Ducks 
(page 603), Geese (page 612), Pigeons (page 612), and even Ostriches 
(page 619). Finally the field of the mechanical may be surveyed in 
the subject of Incubation and Incubators (Vol. I, p. 547). 



§ v. THE FRUIT-GROWER 

There is a charm about fruit-growing that tends largely to equal- 
ize the disadvantage of the delay that usually occurs in the realization 
of profits. It is hard to describe this charm. But whether it is due 
to the cleanliness of the work, or the attractiveness of the product, 
the freedom from daily chores, or the variety of tasks that are in- 
volved and that offer an opportunity for all ages and sorts of workers, 
it is responsible for the enthusiastic support of a large and thriving 
industry. 

Since the growing of tree fruits is the work of at least a lifetime, 
it is essential that the start be made wisely and the preparation be 
most thorough. This involves the purchase and planting of young 
trees (unless, of course, the prospective orchardist locates on a farm 
already established), which subjects deserve careful study. (See 
Vol. V, p. 62.) Next in importance is probably the general theory 
of fruit-growing from both home and commercial standpoints, as 
outlined on the forty-odd pages (beginning page 17) preceding 
the reference just given. Supplementing this, the special subjects of 
Pruning (page 72), Irrigation (page 104), the use of Cover Crops 
(Vol. VII, p. 498), Orchard Protection (page 91), and Harvesting. 
Storing, and Marketing (pages 128, 138, and Vol. VII, p. 81) should 
be reviewed. 



56 COBURN'S MANUAL 

Thus far the consideration has been solely of the practical side. 
The well-informed fruit-grower needs, however, to be a horticulturist 
in a rather more scientific sense. He must know something of the 
botany and physiology of fruits and Pollination (Vol. V, p. 145) 
and of the science of propagation in general and Grafting in par- 
ticular (page 155). He must also be a business man in the broader 
sense, with a knowledge of how to cooperate and take advantage of the 
opportunities offered by Fruit- Growers' Associations (page 134), etc. 

The next step may be in any of several directions, depending 
upon the nature and aims of the reader. If he is a student desiring 
to survey the entire field before following any special line, he might 
do well to take up Vol. VI and the subject of Fruit Enemies and 
their destruction. Here he will find Insects Injurious to Fruits 
(page 29) and Nuts (page 130) and Diseases of Fruits (page 450) 
discussed under the heads of their different hosts, and the cheering 
topics of Insecticides (page 362), Fumigation Methods (page 386), 
and Disease Control (page 656) treated from more general viewpoints 
as well. Although Bees are included among insects on page 401, 
they should be classed as beneficial, since they are important agents in 
the pollination of the blossoms and, thereby, the abundant produc- 
tion of good fruit. 

If, however, the reader is more of a specialist who has definite 
ideas and plans for growing some particular group of fruits, he will 
probably prefer to leave the general considerations until later, and 
look into the detailed principles governing whatever variety he is 
interested in, whether it be Apples (page 174), Pears and Quinces 
(page 205), Peaches (page 215), Plums and Prunes (page 226), 
Cherries (page 233), Grapes (page 235), Small Fruits (page 247), 
Citrus Fruits (page 263), other Tropical or Subtropical Fruits (page 
280), or Nuts (page 301). Also it will be of much interest to him to 
study the classified lists of varieties that have been found especially 
satisfactory for different sections of the United States (page 171). 



§VI. THE GARDEN LOVER 

Owing to the similarity of their interests and of the principles 
that govern their activities, we are considering, under this one head, 
the growers of flowers and of vegetables. Of course either one may 
be an amateur, growing a few flowering plants for love or caring 
for a tiny plot of vegetables for home use; or he may be a commer- 
cial florist or truck gardener dealing with acres of glass, thousands 
of seedlings, and wagon-loads of produce. In any case, the Cyclopedia 
contains information and assistance that should prove as interesting 
as it is valuable. 

Vegetable Growing is fully and conveniently discussed in the 153 
pages in Vol. IV, beginning on page 217. Here each vegetable is 
dealt with in its alphabetical order, both as a crop for the kitchen 
garden and, if its nature warrants it, as a market garden or truck- 
ing product. Similarly the Insects and Diseases of this group of 
plants are kept together in the pages following 136 and 531 of 



PRACTICAL READING FOR FARMERS 57 

Vol. VI. Such details of spraying and other protective or preventive 
measures as are not treated there will be found under the general 
discussions on pages 362 and 656 of the same volume. 

Two special subjects that are of interest to the gardener in 
general and the vegetable grower in particular are Crops to Be 
Grown in the Orchard (Vol. V, p. 119) and Weeds (Vol. IV, p. 530). 

The florist should give his or her attention first to the general 
discussions of growing Flowers and Ornamental Plants (Vol. V, p. 
469, and Vol. VII, p. 73) and then progress to the special subjects of 
Annuals (Vol. V, p. 480), Commercial Flower-Growing (page 490), 
the use of Hotbeds (page 500), Coldframes (page 508), and Green- 
houses (page 509). The ornamentals come in for their share of 
troubles, which are described under the headings Insects Affecting 
Home and Greenhouse Plants (Vol. VI, p. 256), Insects Affecting 
Dooryard Plants (page 270), Insects Affecting Ornamentals (page 
279), and Diseases of Flowers (page 625). For the most part these 
are well understood, and by following the directions given they can 
be kept quite in subjection. 



§ VII. THE GENERAL FARMER 

Having considered the several phases of farming that represent 
distinct industries, we have left a large group of subjects, none of 
which justifies a division to itself, but all of which are likely to be of 
vital importance in a system of general diversified farming. This 
type, as stated in an earlier chapter, has proved its value and profit- 
ableness even in such a commonly accepted ' ' one-crop ' ' section as the 
corn belt. How much more effective must it be where a variety of 
soils, climatic changes, topographical features, etc., render it neces- 
sary to keep at least two crop irons in the fire? Moreover, since 
increased fertility depends largely upon live stock, and since live stock 
depend upon generous, careful feeding, the matters that concern 
the general farmer have a bearing not only upon his success in the 
fields, but also in the barns and feed lots. 

He will want to be thoroughly familiar, for instance, with the 
nature and uses of the several Grass and Hay Plants (Vol. IV, p. 17), 
with the Field Crops (page 370), and the Weeds (page 530) that 
hinder them, as well as those weeds which may be profitably culti- 
vated for use in medicine (page 533). He may find opportunity to 
grow other of the miscellaneous crops (and if so to fight their 
enemies), which subjects are discussed under Rice (Vol. IV, p. 600) 
and Its Diseases (Vol. VI, p. 615), Peanuts (Vol. IV, p. 615), Hops 
(page 634), Cotton (page 529), Its Diseases (Vol. VI, p. 601), and 
Its Insect Enemies (page 236), Hemp (Vol. IV, p. 575), Tobacco 
(page 587), Its Insect Pests (Vol. VI, p. 251), and Diseases (page 
620), Sugar Cane (Vol. IV, p. 657), Its Insect Troubles (Vol. VI, p. 
227), and Diseases (page 596), Sorghum crops (Vol. IV, p. 647), 
Their Diseases (Vol. VI, p. 612), Sugar Beets (Vol. IV, p. 620), and 
Their Diseases (Vol. VI, p. 593), Prickly Pear (Vol. IV, p. 588), 
Ginseng (page 598), and so on. 



58 COBURN'S MANUAL 

So, too, the field crops and grains have their pests, which are 
grouped as follows : 



Insects Injurious to Grains 

Insects Injurious to Grasses, Clovers, etc 

Insects Injurious to Stored Products 

Insects Injurious in the Farm Home 

Insects and Their Remedies . 

Diseases of Grain and Forage Crops 

Diseases of Staple Crops . 

Diseases that Attack Stored Products 

Diseases and Their Control 



Vol. VI, p. 168 

Vol. VI, p. 197 

Vol. VI, p. 217 

Vol. VI, pp. 328, 351 

Vol. VI, p. 395 

Vol. VI, p. 576 

Vol. VI, p. 593 

Vol. VI, p. 652 

Vol. VI, p. 656 



Then there are the details of the management by which Field 
Crops may be Protected (page 351) ; and a good list of Beneficial 
Insects (page 400) which give a slightly brighter lining to the clouds 
of obstacles in the farmer's way. 

The Rotations (Vol. VII, p. 201) in which he can use these 
crops, the manner in which, and materials with which he shall Fer- 
tilize them (page 388) are essential factors in his progress, the use 
of Green Manures (page 492) being a profitable way to utilize mate- 
rials that cannot well be harvested nor permitted to go to waste. In 
this science of plant-feeding and soil-fertilizing there is a complete 
terminology (page 521) which the farmer should learn before dis- 
cussing the matter or trying to determine the value of fertilizing 
materials. 

Drainage (Vol. VII, p. 258) is the open door through which 
many a farmer has reached success and through which many more 
must yet pass if they are to utilize all of their farms. Incidentally, 
since they have such a direct influence on the moisture supply in the 
soil, Forests are important factors at this point, and the general 
farmer should understand what Forestry (Vol. II, p. 319) means 
and what it offers whether, in his case, it represents taking care of a 
standing wood lot and making it yield an annual profit, or setting 
out a new forest on land too poor, or too wet, or too steep for other 
utilization. The thorns in this bunch of roses are the Insects (Vol. 
VI, p. 279) and the Diseases (page 640) that attack forest trees. 
However, one indisputable advantage exists in the fact that timber 
destroyed by either of these agencies may still be of use to nearly its 
normal extent. 

The Machinery (Vol. VII, p. 84) with which he does his work 
should be a subject of much interest to any man, especially when the 
history of its development involves a tale full of romance and human 
interest, as in the case of farm implements. It may also create a 
new appreciation of the men who have conceived and perfected these 
labor-savers, and appreciation is a desirable sentiment in any voca- 
tion, stimulating as it does a spirit of Cooperation (Vol. VII, p. 246). 
And through cooperation there is likely to come in time the greatest 
development and progress that has ever taken place in agriculture — 
the industry upon which rest the welfare and the very existence of 
Mankind. 



